Shortly before the US election, the president extends a drilling ban off the east coast. The measure is in contrast to his other energy policy. His challenger Joe Biden suspects an election maneuver.
US President Donald Trump has extended a moratorium on oil drilling off the coast of the state of Florida by ten years until 2032. Trump signed an ordinance on Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida. According to him, the ban on oil drilling has been extended to the coastal waters of the other southeastern states of Georgia and South Carolina.
The measure stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s other energy policies. The president is a firm supporter of the oil and gas industry and is promoting the expansion of production areas. His government had only approved highly controversial oil drilling in a nature reserve in Alaska in mid-August.
Presidential rival Biden suspects electoral maneuver
Trump’s presidential rival Joe Biden of the opposition Democrats also suspected that Trump’s current decision to extend the oil drilling ban off the southeast coast had to do with the November 3rd election. A few months ago, the president had planned to end the moratorium, but now he has “conveniently” changed his mind, wrote Biden on the short message service Twitter. He called the President’s actions “incredible”.
Florida is one of the key states for the outcome of the presidential election, in which Trump is fighting for a second term. According to the polls, a head-to-head race between Trump and Biden is looming in Florida. Senator Rick Scott welcomed the extension of the oil drilling moratorium. Scott, who, like Trump, is a Republican, tweeted that he had had many conversations with the president about the importance of leaving the Florida coast “untouched”.
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