Kennedy calls on Biden admin to end burdensome regulations destroying energy production in the Gulf

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and colleagues in urging the Biden administration’s Commerce and Interior Departments not to move forward with proposed regulations that would destroy offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico.

In July 2023, the Biden administration entered an agreement with environmental organizations to restrict the use of oil and gas carrier vessels in certain parts of the Gulf due to unfounded claims that the ships interfere with the Rice’s whale species in the area.

“The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), as well as the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), have actively pursued unnecessary measures for the Rice’s whale at the expense of communities along the Gulf of Mexico. While we appreciate that NOAA denied the petition to establish vessel speed measures in the Gulf and that BOEM removed Rice’s whale stipulations from Lease Sale 261, we strongly urge that NOAA, NMFS, and BOEM refrain from advancing regulations that lack sound scientific backing,” the senators wrote.

“While NOAA and BOEM’s data is incomplete, we do have a robust understanding of the economic impact of the Gulf of Mexico. Our ports provide a clear view of commercial activity in and out of the Gulf. In Texas, the Port of Houston generated $439 billion in statewide economic value in 2022. Ports across the state of Louisiana generated $182 billion in statewide economic impact, which includes nine ports located directly on the coast. In Alabama, the Port of Mobile generated more than $85 billion in total economic activity in 2021. Imposing restrictions on development in the Gulf of Mexico would directly harm the economic activity and jobs across coastal communities,” they continued.

“When issuing regulations with such significant impacts to our economy and national security, it is imperative to rely on the best available science. We agree with the importance of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act but caution you to avoid moving forward with regulations without verifiable scientific data. Just yesterday, NOAA announced supposed sightings that ‘could be used to improve the Rice’s whale abundance estimate,’ clearly highlighting that more work is needed before any agency action. Rather than depending on centuries-old whaling records and non-peer reviewed claims for rulemaking, NOAA and BOEM should gather new, verified data on the species in question,” the senators concluded.

Background:

• The Biden administration entered a settlement agreement with the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth and Turtle Island Restoration Network to block 6 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico from being used for oil and gas production.

• The organizations claim that ship traffic in the region would disturb the habitat of the Rice’s whale, a species native to the Gulf. Yet, the organizations cited a study that uses flawed methodology and lacks scientific evidence.

• BOEM also may impose a 10-knot speed limit for ships and restrict nighttime transit for oil and gas vessels throughout the area, which will disrupt the production of oil and gas in the Gulf. BOEM also intended to enforce its restrictions solely on oil and natural gas companies, which make up only a small portion of the overall ship traffic in the area.

• The administration’s restrictions will hinder America’s energy production and reduce bids for offshore lease sales.

The full letter is available here.