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On Friday, the Interior Department reversed the Trump administration's last minute attempt to remove safety regulations for offshore drilling in the Arctic. In December, President Trump's Interior Department tried to revise a slate of safety measures instated during the Obama administration. However, the rule was not finalized before the Biden administration took office and is now withdrawn.
"The Arctic exploratory drilling regulations released in 2016 are critical to ensuring adequate safety and environmental protections for this sensitive ecosystem and Alaska Native subsistence activities," said an Interior Department spokesperson. The Trump administration's attempted rollback would have removed the requirement to have plans for containment in case of a spill, among other commonsense protections. It would also have eliminated a requirement that oil operators submit thorough plans for any new drilling operations. The rules were put in place as a result of other catastrophic oil spills, including Deepwater Horizon.
This is the latest action in the Biden administration's moves to undo Trump-era rollbacks of environmental protections. From restoring protections for migratory birds to temporarily blocking oil and gas activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Biden's Interior Department is prioritizing the safety of wildlife and communities.
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The 30x30 proposed policy serves as a vitally important opportunity to safeguard the environment and Tribal cultural values, strengthen the Nation-to-Nation relationship, and uphold Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.”
