Fears over what may happen to endangered species in the Gulf of America have heightened after the Endangered Species Committee, also known as the “God Squad,” exempted all oil and gas projects in the Gulf from Endangered Species Act regulations, including penalties for violations of federal law.
Conservation groups say the exemption could jeopardize species throughout the Gulf, including the critically endangered Rice’s whale. The committee took the action after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called ongoing litigation against oil companies a “threat” to national security.
