"The Trump administration is turning to the nuclear option on endangered-species protections in the name of national security. A rarely tapped panel nicknamed the 'God Squad' will meet Tuesday to discuss whether overriding Endangered Species Act regulations for all federally regulated fossil fuel operations in the Gulf of Mexico is more important than preventing the extinction of several imperiled species."
"It's disappointing that the court didn't immediately stop Hegseth's reckless power grab, but this is just the first battle in a longer fight to protect the Gulf's endangered whales and turtles."
"The situation puts the country in uncharted waters. No administration has ever before requested a national security exemption from endangered-species protections."
"US oil production is hovering around record highs. Companies working offshore in the Gulf's federal waters produced 1.9 million barrels of oil per day last year, and that's with endangered-species protections in place."
The Trump administration is considering a national security exemption from the Endangered Species Act for offshore oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico. A panel known as the 'God Squad' will evaluate whether overriding protections for endangered species, including sea turtles and a critically endangered whale species, is justified. This unprecedented move follows a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, which aims to block the meeting. The administration argues that national security necessitates the exemption despite existing high levels of oil production.
#endangered-species-act #offshore-oil #national-security #environmental-protection #trump-administration
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