On Tuesday, a U.S. government panel granted an exemption for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This decision has raised alarms among conservationists, who worry that it may jeopardize the survival of the endangered Rice’s whale and threaten other marine species.
The Endangered Species Committee, which had not assembled in over thirty years, unanimously approved the exemption at the prompting of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth argued that ongoing lawsuits from environmental groups aimed at the energy sector could undermine the nation’s energy supply. Conversely, environmental advocates contend that drilling activities could lead to the extinction of protected species such as Rice's whales, whooping cranes, and sea turtles.
With only about 51 individuals remaining, the Rice’s whale population is teetering on the edge of extinction, largely due to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, which released approximately 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.
Referred to as the “God squad” by critics who claim it can determine the fate of species, the committee consists of several officials from the Trump administration and is chaired by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
In favor of the exemption, Burgum, Hegseth, and five additional panel members cast their votes unanimously.
Steve Mashuda, an attorney at the environmental law organization Earthjustice, condemned the decision. “The Trump administration is exploiting its self-made gas crisis to eliminate protections for endangered whales and other vulnerable species in the Gulf of Mexico,” he remarked.
“Secretary Hegseth and his extinction committee assert that this will eventually relieve costs for financially strained Americans, but communities in the Gulf understand the true consequences of unchecked drilling: catastrophic oil spills and the degradation of ecosystems and coastal economies. Earthjustice and its partners are prepared to challenge this illegal directive in court.”
Donald Trump has prioritized boosting fossil fuel production during his second term, advocating for the opening of new drilling areas in the Gulf, particularly off the Florida coast, alongside proposing substantial reductions to environmental regulations that industries oppose.
On March 13, Hegseth communicated to Burgum that the ESA exemption for Gulf oil and gas drilling was “necessary for reasons of national security,” as noted in a court filing by the administration. This request was made in light of global oil market disruptions and rising energy prices due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
During Tuesday's committee meeting, Hegseth emphasized that Iran's actions to impede shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz highlighted the critical need for robust domestic oil production. He cautioned that legal challenges from environmental groups, which contest government approvals for drilling, pose a threat to the energy industry.
“Disruptions to Gulf oil production don’t only impact us; they also benefit our adversaries,” Hegseth remarked. “We cannot allow our regulations to undermine our position and empower those who wish to harm us. When activity in the Gulf is stifled, we hinder our capacity to produce the energy essential for our country and our department.”
The Gulf of Mexico ranks as one of the country’s leading oil-producing regions, comprising over 10% of the annual crude output in the U.S., along with a minor contribution to domestic natural gas production.
However, the Gulf has also been the site of significant environmental disasters, exemplified by BP's Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010, which resulted in the death of 11 workers and the spillage of millions of gallons of oil. A recent spill in the Gulf extended 373 miles (600 kilometers), contaminating seven protected natural reserves.
Environmental organizations attempted but failed to obstruct Tuesday’s committee meeting and have vowed to legally contest any actions taken by the committee. They assert that the exemption would push the already endangered Rice’s whale towards extinction.
“If Trump succeeds in this endeavor, he could become the first individual in history to knowingly eradicate a species from existence. That is the precarious state of the Rice’s whale,” stated Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor of law at Vermont Law School.
A 2025 analysis by the National Marine Fisheries Service indicated that the Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas program is likely to adversely affect several marine species, including whales, sea turtles, and Gulf sturgeons, all of which face increased risks from ship strikes, oil spills, and other harmful incidents.
Established in 1978, the Endangered Species Committee functions to exempt projects from the ESA, which prohibits harming or killing protected species if no alternative exists that offers the same economic benefits to a region or if it aligns with national interests.
Prior to this week, the committee had only convened three times in its 53-year existence, granting two exemptions. The initial one occurred in 1979 to permit the construction of a dam in Wyoming’s Platte River, home to the whooping crane. The committee last met in 1992 to approve logging in the habitats of the northern spotted owl in Oregon, a request later withdrawn.
This latest convening follows a federal judge’s ruling on Monday that annulled efforts to weaken endangered species regulations during Trump’s first term.
The panel comprises the secretaries of agriculture, interior, and the army; the chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers; and the administrators of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They all endorsed Hegseth’s request for the ESA exemption.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
Share this story