U.S. Court Overrules Decision Blocking Federal Oil, Gas Lease Suspension

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday overturned a lower court’s decision to block the Biden administration’s moratorium on new leases of oil and gas on federal land and waters, a key part of the president’s climate change strategy. and remanded the action to that court for further proceedings. .

The Fifth U.S. Court of Appeals for the Circuit has overturned the Louisiana District Court’s decision to block the Department of the Interior’s lease moratorium after Louisiana and 12 other states sued the government, alleging they would be harmed by the policy. Discarded.

The court said the district court’s order and accompanying memorandum “lacked specificity” and said the injunction was focused on the Home Office case, which has yet to be finalized.

President Joe Biden suspended new government leases in January 2021 as part of a sweeping plan to curb fossil fuel mining on federal land and combat the effects of climate change.

The Ministry of the Interior last year it will advance a new lease During the appeal process, “consistent with the district court’s injunction pending appeal.”

Interior spokesperson Melissa Schwartz said the company is currently reviewing a decision.

(Reuters – Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Mark Porter, Lisa Shumaker and Diane Craft)