GoKawiilU.S. exempts oil industry from protecting Gulf animals, for 'national security'
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A committee of Trump administration officials voted unanimously on Tuesday to exempt the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico from requirements of the Endangered Species Act, a move that would lift protections for endangered whales, turtles and other animals threatened with extinction.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth triggered the vote two weeks ago by asking Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to call it "for reasons of national security," and was present at the meeting.
"To be secure as a nation we need a steady, affordable supply of our own energy," Hegseth told the six members of the committee, nicknamed the God Squad for its ability to make life or death decisions about endangered animals. "This is not just about gas prices; it's about our ability to power our military and protect our nation."
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Until now, oil and gas companies have been asked by federal agencies to protect Gulf species by not discarding trash into the Gulf and suspending their use of loud technology when they spot whales, among other requests.
One species of Gulf whale is particularly vulnerable. Scientists estimate that only about 51 Rice's whales are left on Earth, all of them in waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration has termed the Gulf of America.
On Tuesday, Dr. Neil Jacobs, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Under Secretary of Commerce, made clear that oil and gas companies would no longer need to adhere to protections — for Rice's whales and any other animals previously protected by the Endangered Species Act.
"I want to highlight that the agency action under consideration — all oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America — encompasses the full suite of actions including various protective measures for the Rice's Whale," said Jacobs. "I will be voting to grant the exemption."
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