Environmental groups sue, say Gulf drilling exemption endangers Rice’s whale, sea turtles

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A controversial federal decision could impact the wildlife that call the Gulf home.

This week, the Trump administration’s Endangered Species Committee exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf from protections under the “Endangered Species Act.”

The decision is being met with pushback from environmentalists.

From sea turtles to manatees, and even one of the rarest whales on the planet, the Gulf is filled with wildlife who draw thousands to the coast.

“People come to the beaches hoping that they’ll see these animals. And a lot of times that they do,” said Christian Wagley, coastal organizer of “Healthy Gulf.”

But Wagley worries that it could all change.

“It’s pretty clear that oil and gas drilling in the Gulf is a direct threat to so many species of wildlife,” he said. “The one that immediately comes to mind is the Rice’s whale, which is one of the rarest whales on the planet. They live right out here off of Florida mainly, but around the Gulf Coast. There’s fewer than 100 remaining.”

Wagley worries that exempting the oil and gas industry from protecting these species may drive them to extinction.

He’s not alone in these concerns.

“Oil and gas drilling is dangerous,” said Rep. Kathy Castor (D) of Florida. “We know this. My neighbors know this across the state of Florida and across the Gulf Coast.”

Castor is backing environmentalists.

She says the Gulf serves as not only a home for wildlife, but it’s a critical tool for the military.

“Real leaders of the Department of Defense for years have opposed offshore drilling near Florida’s Gulf Coast because it threatens critical military training areas and weapons testing,” Castor said.

The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, says the move is necessary for national security.

Multiple environmental organizations have teamed up and are suing the Trump administration, claiming this is “abuse of the national security exemption.”

“Wiping away a law based on specious claims of harm to national security is something that puts all of us in danger,” said Drew Caputo, VP of litigation for Earthjustice. “In addition to being unnecessary ineffective and dangerous, the Trump administration’s action here is also illegal.”

The goal of the lawsuit is to have the courts throw out the exemption, forcing the oil and gas industry to comply with the Endangered Species Act.

“We can have whales and sea turtles and oil drilling in the Gulf the same way we’ve had it for decades,” Caputo said. “So the goal is not to stop oil and gas drilling. It’s to take some really minimal protective measures that make it so species like the Rice’s whale don’t go extinct. And that can be done entirely consistent with oil and gas activity in the Gulf. That’s the goal of the lawsuit.”

The lawsuit was filed Thursday, but the attorney on the case says he hopes they’ll be arguing their claims to a court within the next year.

He says there are two other suits pending in the same district court, challenging this exemption.