South Georgia Times

A federal judge recently banned offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, taking 80 million acres previously made available by the Department of the Interior off the table.

Melissa Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Department of Interior, said the department is reviewing the previous decision to reopen drilling, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"We have documented serious deficiencies in the federal oil and gas program," Schwartz said in a statement. "Especially in the face of the climate crisis, we need to take the time to make significant and long overdue programmatic reforms."

Gas prices continue on an upward trend that displays no signs of slowing down, AAA reported in their gas price averages table. Inflation and global tensions continue to be a factor in the price of oil, leading to rising prices at the gasoline pump.

Areas of the Southern United States are experiencing lower retail gas prices when compared to other areas of the country, AAA reported. Georgia is seeing weekly price increases regardless. The average price for regular gas is $3.37 per gallon, $3.70 for midgrade, $4.03 for premium and $3.86 for diesel.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, appointed by former President Barack Obama, blocked the lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on the grounds that the Department of the Interior failed in properly analyzing the environmental impact of the sale, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, an association that represents wind development and offshore drilling, is not in favor of Contreras' decision, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"At a time of geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly rising energy prices, U.S. oil and gas production is more important than ever to curb inflation and to fortify our national security," Milito said in a statement.

President Joe Biden attempted to block drilling with an executive order in January 2021, but due to a lawsuit filed in March, was forced to reopen oil and gas leasing throughout the Gulf of Mexico in November, CNN News reported.