Congress moves to reopen federal waters to oil and gas drilling
H.R. 408 — To nullify the Presidential memoranda on the withdrawal of certain areas of the outer Continental Shelf from oil or natural gas leasing. · Filed by Jodey Arrington (R-TX) · Introduced Jan 15, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill voids two presidential orders issued on January 6, 2025, that withdrew large areas of the outer Continental Shelf (in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Pacific, and Northern Bering Sea) from oil and natural gas leasing. By nullifying those withdrawal orders, the bill restores those areas to potential oil and gas development.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to restore federal ocean areas to oil and gas development by voiding presidential withdrawal orders. It is a straightforward deregulatory measure that opens public waters to energy extraction.
What the text implies
- Reopening these areas may trigger litigation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA), as the withdrawn areas were protected partly on environmental grounds.
- The bill does not address lease terms, royalty rates, or environmental mitigation requirements—those remain subject to existing law, but the underlying access is restored.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
oil and gas exploration and production companies; offshore drilling contractors; energy sector service providers