“God Squad” Grants ESA Exemption For Oil And Gas Operations In Gulf Of Mexico

The Endangered Species Committee granted an exemption to all oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico from the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, the first such exemption in the law’s 53-year history. The exemption was granted after only 32 minutes of discussion and despite the fact that the Trump administration bypassed the requirements set forth by the ESA regarding any exemptions.

The committee, also known as the God Squad or Extinction Committee, cited “national security” to justify the exemption, which will likely drive the extremely endangered Rice’s whale to extinction. The Rice’s whale is the only endemic whale species found within the United States, and lives only in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the exemption will also deliver a crushing blow to the conservation of dozens of other threatened and endangered species in the Gulf, including sea turtles, whooping cranes and manatees.

“This amoral action by Pete Hegseth and Trump’s cronies is as horrific as it is illegal, and we’ll overturn it in court,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Americans overwhelmingly oppose sacrificing endangered whales and other marine life so the fossil fuel industry can get richer.”

The Center noted that the committee granted the exemption despite the fact that no company from the oil and gas industry or any federal agency has requested it.

“Invoking national security cannot justify potentially pushing the Rice’s whale — or any of our nation’s irreplaceable wildlife species — into the abyss of extinction,” said Andrew Bowman, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “If this administration were truly concerned about national security, it would focus on what will protect our quality of life and a secure future for all Americans. That includes healthy lands and waters that support people and the wildlife that we love and rely upon.

With the vote for exemption, the God Squad has overruled a National Marine Fisheries Service requirement for oil and gas industry ships to operate at safe speeds in the eastern Gulf and monitor the location of whales to avoid strikes and deaths. The committee also has effectively eliminated all other conservation and safety measures designed to protect marine wildlife and species along the Gulf Coast from catastrophic oil spills.

Following the meeting, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum stated that sustained oil and gas production in the region is essential to U.S. national security and economic stability, and cautioned that critical energy operations should not be jeopardized by the threat of disruptive litigation.

“This meeting made clear that energy streams in the Gulf of America must not be disrupted or held hostage by ongoing litigation,” said Burgum. “Energy production in the Gulf of America is indispensable to our nation’s strength, safeguarding our energy independence and preventing reliance on foreign adversaries."

Despite Burgum’s warning, the Center stated that it will be amending its existing lawsuit to challenge Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s national security determination and the exemption granted by the committee, which they see as unlawful.