The Endangered Species Committee granted oil and gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico an exemption from the Endangered Species Act. The committee, chaired by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, consists of the heads of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Council of Economic Advisers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It has met only four times in its entire history, issuing a total of three exemptions. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested the exemption due to an alleged national security need for increased oil production. Following the decision, federal agencies are no longer required to ensure that they do not jeopardize the existence of threatened and endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has identified 20 such species, including the Rice’s whale, of which about 50 individuals remain.
Source Regulatory Review
