Ginny Roscamp, ginny.roscamp@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, the Trump administration utilized the decisionmaking power of a ubiquitous federal committee to send the critically endangered Rice’s Whale to extinction. The Endangered Species Committee voted unanimously to exempt all oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act. It is the first time the committee — which has met only three times since its creation in 1978 and is colloquially referred to as the “God Squad” — has used “national security concerns” to override ESA protections.
The Gulf is home to at least 20 threatened and endangered species, including the critically endangered Rice’s whale, which exists nowhere else on Earth. Its population is estimated to be only 51 remaining whales. Scientists have concluded the oil and gas industry poses one of the principal threats to the species’ survival, and the loss of even one whale could lead to the species’ extinction.
This decision is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf, including recent proposals to weaken offshore drilling safety regulations and plans to open all coastlines to offshore drilling, with 30 mandated lease sales in the Gulf alone. During the meeting, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the administration sought to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf to support the administration’s war in Iran.
In response to the decision, Sierra Club’s Executive Director Loren Blackford issued the following statement:
“The Trump administration manufactured yet another crisis, and now, in a reckless abuse of power, a species has been sentenced to extinction while the oil and gas industry secures one more handout. By invoking ‘national security’ to sidestep a bedrock environmental law, the Trump administration is setting a dangerous precedent for politically motivated exemptions that could weaken protections for endangered species nationwide. Sierra Club is looking at all legal options in the face of this egregious decision."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.