Judge blocks government plan to scale back Gulf oil lease sale to protect whale species

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to expand next week’s scheduled sale of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases by millions of acres. The Thursday night ruling rejected a scaled-back plan announced last month by the Biden administration as part of an effort to protect an endangered whale species. As originally proposed in March, the Sept. 27 sale was would have made 73 acres (30 hectares) of offshore tracts available for drilling leases. In August, the administration reduced the area to 67 acres (27 hectares) as part of an effort to protect the Rice’s whale species. The new order restores the original plan.