Trump to revoke protections for endangered species in Gulf of Mexico

The President is convening what is known as the ‘God squad’ to override provisions of the Endangered Species Act for reasons of national security.

Donald Trump is assembling a group of senior officials, referred to as a “God squad,” to revoke protections for endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico. The rationale provided focuses on national security concerns, particularly to facilitate the expansion of oil and gas operations.

If enacted, this initiative has the potential to jeopardize numerous protected species, including Rice’s whales, whooping cranes, and various sea turtles.

The “God squad” is a rarely utilized provision within the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that allows a sitting president to convene a panel of agency heads who possess the authority to override protections for species at risk of extinction. The committee assesses whether the benefits of a proposed project supersede the survival of the endangered wildlife.

The Trump administration is asserting a national security exemption under the ESA, a move that is unprecedented. Notably, oil and gas companies have not requested such an exemption, raising questions regarding the motivations behind this initiative, according to Brett Hartl, the government affairs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, which has filed a lawsuit to prevent the committee from convening.

Critics suggest this strategy is intended to lower escalating gas prices amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict related to Iran. Trump appears to be positioning the administration as responsive to this crisis; however, Hartl dismissed the national security threat claim as “nonsense,” highlighting a myriad of alternative interpretations.

Hartl questioned, “What is the threat here? Or is the main threat Donald Trump’s abysmal polling numbers?” He characterized this move as performative, designed to appeal to far-right interests and industry stakeholders.

Currently, an estimated 51 Rice’s whales exist, and these species, along with others, are facing the brink of extinction, in part due to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, which released approximately 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.

The Endangered Species Committee, commonly referred to as the “God squad,” comprises seven leaders from various federal agencies. In rare scenarios where a significant federal action conflicts with the ESA, these officials vote to determine if the project's advantages outweigh the welfare of protected species. If five out of seven votes favor the continuation of a project, it proceeds, potentially leading to further endangerment of species. This meeting is scheduled for March 31.

Among the actions under consideration, the “God squad” aims to bypass a requirement from the National Marine Fisheries Service that mandates the oil and gas industry to operate vessels at safe speeds in the eastern Gulf while monitoring whale locations to prevent collisions.

Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, is advocating for an exemption for all oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico from the ESA. However, neither the military nor the industry has specified any projects nor cited existing conflicts.

Hartl emphasized, “No one is asking for this.”

Additionally, the administration is seeking to exempt itself and Hegseth from adhering to established protocols outlined in the ESA, again justifying this request with claims of national security threats.

The ESA stipulates that documents and meetings of the committee must be transparent. However, Hartl noted that the administration has withheld documents requested by the Center for Biological Diversity. Although an open meeting was streamed online, it was not accessible to the public, as asserted in the center's legal action.

The “God squad” has convened only three times in its history, and instances where it has overridden the ESA have been rare. The only notable case involved a dam project that included provisions to support at-risk crane populations. Andrew Bowman, president of the Defenders of Wildlife advocacy organization, remarked that no previous administration has attempted to circumvent the established protocols like Hegseth is doing.

Bowman stated, “Hegseth’s suggestion that our national security necessitates jeopardizing the extinction of the Gulf’s threatened and endangered species displays a flagrant disregard for America’s national wildlife heritage and the rule of law.”

Even in the scenario that Hegseth and the administration adhered to the required protocols, Hartl argued it remains uncertain whether reducing gas prices aligns with the ESA’s intent. He highlighted that while Congress included a military exemption in the ESA, the rationale was clearly intended for military operations or training exercises.

The Center for Biological Diversity recently presented its initial lawsuit during an emergency hearing, and a judicial ruling is still pending. The lawsuit emphasizes the administration’s failure to observe established procedures.

Hartl indicated that the administration could easily comply with the protocols and submit a new exemption request in a matter of days. Should that occur, the Center for Biological Diversity would likely pursue further litigation, contesting the legitimacy of using gas prices as a justification for exemption.

“It is unfortunate that the Rice’s whale, a species that has existed in Earth’s oceans for millions of years, may now face extinction due to the trivial indifference of a single individual,” Hartl concluded.