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Environmental Group Sues U.S. Government Over Offshore Oil and Gas Infrastructure
An environmental group has taken legal action against the U.S. government, challenging its handling of ageing offshore oil and gas infrastructure. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department, accusing it of failing to adequately address the environmental risks posed by outdated offshore drilling equipment. The suit, lodged in federal district court in Washington D.C., highlights the dangers posed by delayed decommissioning of these structures.
The environmental advocates allege that the Interior Department has not conducted thorough examinations of the environmental damage caused by unplugged wells and idle platforms. Under the initial lease agreements for offshore oil or gas exploration, companies are required to decommission wells once they are no longer in use. Despite this, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were overdue for decommissioning as of June 2023, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Efforts to secure comments from the Department of Interior were met with a refusal to comment on the matter. Proper decommissioning involves dismantling infrastructure and plugging wells to prevent environmental damage. The environmental group contends that the government’s inaction violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which mandates federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their actions. The lawsuit aims to compel the Interior Department to undertake a comprehensive analysis to better protect people, wildlife, and the Gulf environment.
This lawsuit follows a recent legal battle where Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi sued the U.S. government. They aimed to block a proposed rule from the Biden administration requiring the offshore oil and gas industry to provide nearly $7 billion in financial assurances for the dismantling of old infrastructure. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico plays a crucial role in the nation's energy landscape, contributing to about 14% of the country's total oil output, with an estimated production of 1.8 million barrels per day.
