Interior Department opens 625 million acres despite Ninth Circuit injunction

Trump reversed Biden's offshore protections Feb. 20, 2025. The order opened 625 million acres of coastal waters. Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific areas lost protection. This represents the largest offshore opening in U.S. history. Environmental groups filed lawsuits immediately. Federal courts issued preliminary injunctions. Implementation remains blocked pending legal resolution.

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act from 1953 governs offshore drilling. It grants presidents enormous discretion over energy development. But courts question if presidents can undo predecessors' permanent withdrawals. Multiple circuit courts reached different conclusions. The Supreme Court will likely decide. Constitutional scholars debate executive power limits. The case tests presidency boundaries.

🌴California, 🗽New York, and 🌴Florida oppose offshore drilling. Tourism economies face threats from oil spills. Marine ecosystems risk permanent damage. Coastal property values could plummet. Fishing industries fear contamination. Beach communities mobilize opposition. State attorneys general joined lawsuits.

The Deepwater Horizon precedent haunts new drilling plans. BP paid $65 billion in settlements. But taxpayers absorbed billions more. Coast Guard response cost $3.7 billion unreimbursed. NOAA assessments added more billions. Economic impacts exceeded $22 billion. Federal disaster aid covered gaps. Liability caps mean socialized risks.

Oil industry gains while maintaining liability limits. The $75 million cap for non-cleanup damages remains. Companies profit from new drilling areas. Taxpayers bear catastrophic risk. Insurance can't cover major disasters. Government becomes default insurer. Private profits, public losses.

Biden's offshore wind development disappeared overnight. Marine sanctuary designations vanished too. Years of planning erased by executive order. Clean energy projects canceled. Conservation efforts reversed. Climate commitments abandoned. The energy transition stalled.

Trump's reversal tests judicial limits on presidential power. Can executives undo 'permanent' protections? Do withdrawals bind future presidents? Courts struggle with precedent. The Constitution stays silent. Congress could legislate clarity. But partisan gridlock prevents action.