Posted on 01/28/2022 4:18:04 AM PST by Political Junkie Too
WASHINGTON — A federal court has rejected a plan to lease millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore oil drilling, saying the Biden administration did not adequately take into account the lease sale's effect on planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, violating a bedrock environmental law.
The decision Thursday by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington sends the proposed lease sale back to the Interior Department to decide next steps. The judge said it was up to Interior to decide whether to go forward with the sale after a revised review, scrap it or take other steps.
Environmental groups hailed the decision and said the ruling gave President Joe Biden a chance to follow through on a campaign promise to stop offshore leasing in federal waters. The decision was released on the one-year anniversary of a federal leasing moratorium Biden ordered as part of his efforts to combat climate change.
“We are pleased that the court invalidated Interior’s illegal lease sale,” said Brettny Hardy, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, one of the environmental groups that challenged the sale.
"This administration must meet this critical moment and honor the campaign promises President Biden made by stopping offshore leasing once and for all," Hardy added. "We simply cannot continue to make investments in the fossil fuel industry to the peril of our communities and increasingly warming planet."
[snip]
The National Ocean Industries Association, which represents the offshore industry, slammed the ruling and called U.S. oil and gas production crucial to curbing inflation and strengthening national security.
“The U.S. offshore region is vital to American energy security and continued leases are essential in keeping energy flowing from this strategic national asset,'' said Erik Milito, the group's president. “Uncertainty around the future of the U.S. federal offshore leasing program" would benefit Russia and other adversaries, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
On the plus side, he ruled that Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia had ratified the Equal Rights Amendment too late. The DoJ under Merrick Garland just issued an opinion that Congress can still deem the ERA amendment to have been ratified. We shall see if Contreras sticks to his original ruling.
-PJ
This shows the importance of debunking climate change as well as fighting liberals at every level.
“F”ING OBAMA JUDGE!
Just in case you were wondering... MASS FORMATION was not only in the Covid nightmare. MASS FORMATION is alive and thriving in the “Climate Crisis” because they use the same playbook!! IGNORE THE DATA! Use EMOTION! Keep them afraid! Rinse, repeat! Silence any and all dissent!
Dirty black-robed tyrant b-turd, damned lesser nobility. I honestly, truly hate those people.
Law is meaningless.
The job of a judge it to interpret the law as written, not to implement policy. Judges have for too long thought of themselves as philosopher-kings. If this judge wants to influence policy decisions then he should resign and run for office.
Our once great nation is doomed to be ruled by lunatics and Marxist morons
Who is John Gault?
Offshore drilling has been approved over and over and over.
The issues have not changed.
The National Environmental Policy Act is one of the most anti-constitutional laws every passed.
It gives incredible power to a non-elected administrative group.
It needs to be severely reformed or repealed.
COVID mask, hoodie, gloves, skate board, unplugging the electric cars of the government all day long…… “I have a dream”
The petroleum companies can STOP this cold by REFUSING to sell or Deliver thier Products within 100 miles of DC
The judge is Rudolph the brown-nosed reindeer.
Rudolph Contreras is another Barack Obama appointee. Take it from there.
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