{"id":547322,"date":"2026-03-26T23:26:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/547322\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T23:26:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:26:13","slug":"trump-administration-seeks-endangered-species-act-exemption-for-gulf-drilling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/547322\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration seeks Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf drilling"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Trump administration wages war on Iran<\/a>, it\u2019s citing national security to seek an exemption from the Endangered Species Act for expanded oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico \u2014 a move alarming environmental groups who say it could set a dangerous precedent for future fossil fuel projects. <\/p>\n

Environmentalists argue the government hasn\u2019t followed proper procedure and they\u2019re seeking to block the move before Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convenes the Endangered Species Committee on Tuesday. The committee, nicknamed the \u201cGod Squad\u201d<\/a> by groups who say it can determine the fate of a species, is comprised of six high-ranking federal officials plus a representative for states involved.<\/p>\n

The administration\u2019s exact plans for the Gulf aren\u2019t clear, but experts say the administration must specify the military need that would endanger a specific species to make a case for the national security exemption. The environmental groups worry that a blanket exemption would open the way for the administration to proceed with oil and gas projects without regard for several species including the Rice\u2019s whale, of which only about 50 remain in the Gulf.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no imaginable justification to sacrifice them,\u201d said Steve Mashuda, Earthjustice managing attorney for oceans. \u201cIt\u2019s beyond reckless even to consider greenlighting the extinction of sea turtles, fish, whales, rays, and corals to further pad the oil industry\u2019s pockets at the public\u2019s expense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Effort to stop Endangered Species Committee from meeting<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

A man fishes near docked oil drilling platforms May 8, 2020, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay, File)<\/p>\n

A man fishes near docked oil drilling platforms May 8, 2020, in Port Aransas, Texas. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay, File)<\/p>\n

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The Center for Biological Diversity sued last week<\/a> to block the committee meeting, saying several requirements to hold such a meeting hadn\u2019t been met. Those include applying within 90 days of the completion of a biological opinion that declares a specific species\u2019 existence is being jeopardized. The organization also argues that the hearing must be public and an administrative law judge must preside.<\/p>\n

The center\u2019s motion will be heard Friday by District of Columbia District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an Obama appointee who has ruled against the Trump administration in the past<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The committee was established in 1978 as a way to exempt projects from the Endangered Species Act<\/a>, which makes it illegal to harm or kill species on a protected list if there is no alternative that would provide the same economic benefits in a region or if it\u2019s in the nation\u2019s best interest. <\/p>\n

The committee has only convened three times in its 53-year history and issued only two exemptions. The first was in 1979 to allow construction on a dam on the Platte River in Wyoming, home to the whooping crane. It last met in 1992, allowing logging in northern spotted owl habitats in Oregon. That exemption request was later withdrawn.<\/p>\n

When he returned to the White House in January, President Donald Trump called on the committee to meet quarterly<\/a> as part of his agenda to clear the way for domestic energy<\/a> development. But a meeting Tuesday would be the committee\u2019s first.<\/p>\n

DOJ says security argument means law doesn\u2019t apply<\/p>\n

In a court filing Wednesday night, the U.S. Department of Justice declared that none of the law\u2019s requirements apply because Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was invoking national security provisions.<\/p>\n

In his request to Burgum for a committee meeting, Hegseth said he \u201cfound it necessary for reasons of national security to exempt from the (Endangered Species Act\u2019s) requirements all Gulf of America oil and gas exploration and development activities\u201d overseen by federal agencies, according to the DOJ filing.<\/p>\n

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\"Doug<\/p>\n

Doug Burgum, Secretary of Interior, delivers speech at the reception of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum at U.S. Ambassador\u2019s Residence, March 13, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo\/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool, File)<\/p>\n

Doug Burgum, Secretary of Interior, delivers speech at the reception of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum at U.S. Ambassador\u2019s Residence, March 13, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo\/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool, File)<\/p>\n

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It claims the Center for Biological Diversity cannot sue ahead of any future actions the committee might take. The filing also says it will make relevant records public on Tuesday, and because the meeting will be livestreamed, that meets the requirement to host it publicly.<\/p>\n

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Exemptions supposed to be rare, experts say<\/p>\n

Experts said exemptions for something like national security were intended to be granted in rare and extreme emergencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Endangered Species Act is not stopping oil and gas development, period. It\u2019s not. So why do you need an exemption?\u201d said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School who helped write criteria for the committee.<\/p>\n

He said the administration is citing national security \u201cjust to basically say, we don\u2019t want the Endangered Species Act interfering with fossil fuel development, and we\u2019re going to take every action we can to ensure that that doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experts also questioned how effective an exemption would be in addressing the oil shocks that have followed the U.S.-Iran war.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is mostly about messaging because drilling new offshore oil and gas wells takes years,\u201d said Michael Gerrard, director of the Columbia University\u2019s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. \u201cIt\u2019s not clear whether this will enable new wells to be drilled that haven\u2019t yet been drilled. … It\u2019s hard to imagine that this would address the Iranian crisis unless that one drags on for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn<\/a>. Reach her at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Read more of AP\u2019s climate coverage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n