At least one energy group isn’t giving up without a fight against President Biden’s banning of new oil and gas exploration on federal lands. The Western Energy Alliance went to federal court in Wyoming on Wednesday with a lawsuit against the order.
The suit filed by the Denver, Colorado-based group claims Biden’s order exceeded his presidential authority and is a violation of the Mineral Leasing Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act.
“The law is clear. Presidents don’t have authority to ban leasing on public lands,” charged Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance.
In a statement, she said all Americans own the oil and natural gas beneath the public lands and the ban on new leasing puts future development as well as existing projects at risk.
“President Biden cannot simply ignore laws in effect for over half a century,” added Sgamma. ” “Biden’s ban is an overreach meant to satisfy the environmental left, but it would seriously harm the livelihoods of tens of thousands of westerners and put at risk millions more as state services become unfunded.”
Sgamma also made the point that Biden’s ban now puts funding at risk for conservation included in last year’s Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress and also the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Great American Outdoors Act directed $1.3 billion a year in oil and natural gas leasing and revenue into conservation.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund depends on federal offshore oil and natural gas. The Alliance leader said by targeting the industry, Biden is risking $8.8 billion in conservation revenue.
“The president just created a gap in conservation funding that he likely hasn’t even considered, just as he hasn’t considered the sacrifice of nearly 58,700 western livelihoods every year this ban continues,” concluded Sgamma.
The Alliance filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. The state ranks first in federal natural gas production and third in oil and has more federal acres leased than any other state. The Alliance will be represented by L. Poe Leggette, Mark S. Barron and Alexander K. Obrecht of BakerHostetler.
