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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 21 december
Obama bans future oil leases in much of Arctic, Atlantic

KEVIN FREKING ecosystem to an oil spill to
Associated Press justify his directive.
HONOLULU (AP) — Presi- Obama also noted the lev-
dent Barack Obama on el of fuel production occur-
Tuesday designated the ring in the Arctic. Obama
bulk of U.S.-owned waters said just 0.1 percent of
in the Arctic Ocean and offshore crude produc-
certain areas in the Atlan- tion came from the Arctic
tic Ocean as indefinitely off in 2015, and at current oil
limits to future oil and gas prices, significant produc-
leasing. tion would not occur in fu-
The move helps put some ture decades.
finishing touches on “That’s why looking for-
Obama’s environmental ward, we must continue
legacy while also testing to focus on economic em-
President-elect Donald powerment for Arctic com-
Trump’s promise to unleash munities beyond this one
the nation’s untapped en- sector,” Obama said.
ergy reserves. Still, industry officials object-
The White House an- ed to Obama’s proclama-
nounced the actions in tion, calling it “last minute
conjunction with the gov- political rhetoric.”
ernment of Canadian Prime “Instead of building on our
Minister Justin Trudeau, nation’s position as a global In this photo, with the Olympic Mountains in the background, a small boat crosses in front of an oil
drilling rig as it arrives in Port Angeles, Wash. President Obama on Tuesday designated the bulk of
which also placed a mora- energy leader, today’s uni- U.S.-owned waters in the Arctic Ocean and certain areas in the Atlantic Ocean as indefinitely off
torium on new oil and gas lateral mandate could put limits to future oil and gas leasing.
leasing in its Arctic waters, America back on a path (Daniella Beccaria/seattlepi.com/AP)
subject to periodic review. of energy dependence for
Obama is making use of an decades to come,” said
arcane provision in a 1953 Dan Naatz of the Indepen-
law to ban offshore leases dent Petroleum Associa-
in the waters permanently. tion of America.
The statute says that “the In issuing a permanent
president of the United ban, Obama appears to
States may, from time to be trying to tie the hands
time, withdraw from dispo- of his successor. Trump has
sition any of the unleased vowed a domestic en-
lands of the outer Conti- ergy revolution and is fill-
nental Shelf.” ing his Cabinet with nomi-
Environmental groups hope nees deeply opposed to
the ban, despite relying on Obama’s environmental
executive powers, will be and climate change ac-
difficult for future presidents tions.
to reverse. The White House Environmental groups
said it’s confident the presi- were calling for a perma-
dent’s order will withstand nent ban even before the
legal challenge and said presidential election, but
the language of the stat- Trump’s victory has pro-
ute provides no authority vided greater urgency for
for subsequent presidents them and for businesses
to undo permanent with- that rely on tourism and
drawals. fishing. Trump has said he
The Atlantic waters placed intends to use all available
off limits to new oil and gas fuel reserves for energy self-
leasing are 31 canyons sufficiency — and that it’s
stretching off the coast of time to open up offshore
New England south to Vir- drilling. This decision will
ginia, though some had help protect existing lucra-
hoped for a more exten- tive coastal tourism and
sive ban that would have fishing businesses from off-
extended further south. shore drilling, which prom-
Existing leases aren’t af- ises smaller, short-lived re-
fected by the president’s turns and threatens coastal
executive actions. livelihoods,” said Jacque-
The administration cited line Savitz, a senior vice
environmental concerns in president at the advocacy
both regions to justify the group, Oceana.
moratorium. Obama also A key question to be an-
cited the importance of swered is how difficult it will
the Chukchi and Beaufort be for future presidents to
seas in providing subsis- overturn Obama’s deci-
tence for native Alaskans sion should they seek to do
and the vulnerability of the so.q