Biden’s Offer of Oil Leases Not Enough to End Legal Challenges

The Interior Department’s resumption of oil and gas leasing fails to give energy companies certainty about the future of drilling on federal land and is unlikely to resolve any court challenges, lawyers say.

The agency announced on April 15 that the Bureau of Land Management will hold much-pared-down oil and gas lease sales later this year, effectively ending the White House’s 2021 leasing “pause” established to consider drilling’s impact on climate change. It said Monday that the first auctions will be held in June.

“This in and of itself does not answer the question: Is there going to be a ...