**US President Barack Obama is set to announce plans to open huge offshore areas on the US coastline to oil and natural gas drilling.**The move will end a long-standing ban on such drilling along the Atlantic coast, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the north coast of Alaska.
The plan aims to reduce US dependence on foreign oil and generate revenue from the sale of offshore leases.
Environmentalists say the proposal is not worth the environmental risks.
They say there is a relatively little oil to be found in the offshore areas.
Early in his presidency, Mr Obama said US reliance on foreign oil posed a threat.
Outlining his energy priorities, he said the country would not be held “hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes, and a warming planet”.
He called for greater fuel efficiency and an “energy economy” aimed at creating millions of jobs.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.