Small offshore oil operators are still clamoring for the Interior Department to offer royalty relief, despite frustration over what they describe as the Trump administration's deaf ear to their plea for aid during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since his arrival at the Interior Department, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has shown a willingness to press ethics lawyers for decisions that help his agenda.
The shift makes it cheaper for some of the wealthiest communities to replenish their beachfronts, which are increasingly under threat from more frequent and intense storms, rising seas and other effects of climate change.
