The decision to indefinitely ban the oil and gas drilling rights offshore the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans is intended to protect the ecologically sensitive marine environments from the impacts of potential oil and gas exploration and development in the areas.
Commenting on the decision US Interior Department Secretary Jewell said: “The President’s bold action recognizes the vulnerable marine environments in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, their critical and irreplaceable ecological value, as well as the unique role that commercial fishing and subsistence use plays in the regions’ economies and cultures.
“The withdrawal will help build the resilience of these vital ecosystems, provide refuges for at-risk species, sustain commercial fisheries and subsistence traditions, and create natural laboratories for scientists to monitor and explore the impacts of climate change.”
The decision affects 3.8 million acres in the north and mid-Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast and 115 million acres in the US Arctic Ocean.
The ban, including previous presidential withdrawals, protects nearly 125 million acres from future oil and gas activity in the offshore Arctic.
A number of other actions have also been jointly launched by the US and Canadian governments under the United States-Canada Joint Arctic Leaders’ Statement to ensure a strong, sustainable and viable Arctic economy and ecosystem.
Obama said in a statement: “The joint actions reflect the scientific assessment that, even with the high safety standards that both our countries have put in place, the risks of an oil spill in this region are significant and our ability to clean up from a spill in the region’s harsh conditions is limited."
However, opposing the decision, American Petroleum Institute (API) upstream director Erik Milito said the ban ignores congressional intent, national security, and vital, good-paying job opportunities for shipyards, unions, and businesses of all types across the country.
Milito added: “Our national security depends on our ability to produce oil and natural gas here in the US.”
Image: The future oil and gas drilling ban in Atlantic and Arctic Oceans is intended to protect the ecologically sensitive marine environments. Photo: courtesy of U.S. Department of the Interior.
