Trump Administration Exempts Gulf Oil Operations From Endangered Species Act, Risking Extinction Of 50 Remaining Rice’s Whales

A federal committee voted unanimously to exempt all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act, a first-of-its-kind decision that leaves at least 20 protected species without legal safeguards. Senior Trump administration officials made the decision Tuesday, citing national security concerns.

The committee, sometimes called the “God Squad” or “Extinction Committee,” rarely meets. It’s existed since 1978 and has the power to allow activities that could harm endangered species. This marks the first time it’s ever granted an exemption to an entire industry rather than a single project.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth triggered the process by issuing a national security finding. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum then convened the committee. Officials argued that Gulf oil and gas production is essential to U.S. national security and economic stability, especially amid global energy market disruptions.

Critics point out that no oil and gas permits had ever been denied because of the Endangered Species Act. Offshore drillers themselves confirmed that existing protections weren’t blocking their work.

Among the most at-risk species is the Rice’s whale. Only around 50 individuals remain, and they live in the Gulf year-round. Scientists warn this exemption could lead to the first human-caused whale extinction in recorded history. Other species now left unprotected include sea turtles, sperm whales, manatees, whooping cranes, fish, rays, corals, and birds. The Rice’s whale population already collapsed after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, dropping to just 51 individuals. Conservationists have warned that the action could foreseeably exterminate a species, making it potentially the first whale to disappear due to human action.

Shortly after the decision, environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The plaintiffs reportedly include Healthy Gulf, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Friends of the Earth, and the Sierra Club. Earthjustice is representing them. They argue the administration abused the national security exception and skipped a required review process. The lawsuit was filed in federal court.

The administration acknowledged that some protective measures for species were considered in the decision. It weighed economic and security factors against conservation concerns. No previous administration had ever used the committee to address national security claims. The exemption comes as federal climate data on Gulf ecosystems faces growing restrictions, with scientists at agencies like NOAA reportedly barred from publicly discussing their findings on species at risk.

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