The Trump administration announced plans last week for a huge expansion of oil drilling off several U.S. coasts, sparking pushback from some of the local leaders over concerns it could harm coastal communities and the ecosystems in the water nearby.

The Interior Department unveiled the launch of an “expansive” offshore leasing program, intended to advance the United States’ “energy dominance.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s measure to expand the nation’s oil and gas program cancels the Biden administration’s more limited leasing program.

The Trump administration argues that it is ending the “smallest offshore leasing plan ever” and replacing it with one that “fully addresses the nation’s growing energy needs.”

“Offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes year

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