Environmental security

Trump Administration Puts Offshore Drilling Plan On Hold After Setback In Court

The Trump administration is postponing controversial plans to greatly expand oil and gas drilling off of the nation's coasts, following a recent setback in court and months of pushback from coastal communities.

Last month, a federal judge in Alaska ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order to lift an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in parts of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

The decision immediately reinstated those protections, and was a major blow to the administration's efforts to boost oil and gas development across the country.

While the Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision, a resolution could be a long ways off. That makes it uncertain where new oil leases may eventually be allowed.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, published Thursday, newly confirmed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said that his agency may wait for the court process to play out before moving forward with plans to open up more than 90 percent of all federal waters to offshore oil and gas leasing.