States, industry sue to reopen federal waters for drilling

By Niina H. Farah | 01/21/2025 06:58 AM EST

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to block his predecessor’s late moves to keep drilling out of federal waters.

President-elect Donald Trump greets President Joe Biden during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Republican states and oil groups are suing over former President Joe Biden's ban on offshore drilling. Pool photo by Chip Somodevilla

Republican-led states and fossil fuel trade groups are teaming up in a new legal fight to block former President Joe Biden’s 11th-hour protections for 625 million acres of federal waters from oil and gas drilling.

President Donald Trump moved to rescind Biden’s actions Monday with an executive order.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court Friday by Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill, seeks to overturn former President Joe Biden’s decision announced earlier this month to withdraw waters spanning much of the U.S. coastline.

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Murrill called Biden’s memoranda blocking development “blatantly illegal” and said if it remains in place it would harm Louisiana’s economy.

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