Environmental groups sue Biden administration to stop oil and gas auction in Gulf of Mexico
Monday, March 13, 2023
Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration last week to block the sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Reuters.
Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups are suing to stop the U.S. Interior Department from offering up drilling rights in 73.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico later this month. However, the auction is mandated by last year’s landmark energy and climate law.
The lease sale would be the first in the Gulf of Mexico since 2021. It would satisfy a provision within President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that requires the sale be made by March 31.
Learn more: Reuters > Environmentalists sue to stop Gulf of Mexico oil and gas auction
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.