The Interior Department’s meeting of the Endangered Species Committee is set for next week.
FILE – A supply vessel boat sits near an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. April 10, 2011. A judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration can convene a meeting next week to seek an exemption from the Endangered Species ActA Build America, Buy America law is causing construction delays amid the US housing crisisPro-Iranian hacking group claims credit for hack of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal accountVance holds first meeting of a new anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programs District of Columbia District Judge Rudolph Contreras rejected the Center for Biological Diversity’s motion to postpone the Interior Department’s upcoming meeting of the Endangered Species Committee.
The committee is set to meet Tuesday to seek an exemption from endangered species laws — which make it illegal to harm or kill species on a protected list, without a viable alternative — for national security purposes as invoked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to a Department of Justice filing, Hegseth called for an exemption for “all Gulf of America oil and gas exploration and development activities” overseen by federal agencies in his request to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for the meeting. The request came as the world experiences oil shocks and soaring energy prices amid the U.S.-Iran war. Composed of six high-ranking federal officials plus a representative for states involved, the committee has been called the “God Squad” by environmental groups that say its actions can essentially determine the fate of an endangered species. It has convened only three times in its nearly 50-year history and the national security provision has never been invoked. The Center for Biological Diversity sued earlier this month, saying Burgum did not meet requirements or the legal basis needed to convene the committee. In seeking a temporary restraining order, the center argued the government could cause irreparable harm through the actions it decides next week. Environmental groups are especially concerned about the Rice’s whale in the Gulf, where only about 50 remain. Government attorneys argued in court that the environmental group was challenging an exemption decision that hasn’t been made and said the government’s reasoning for the exemption will be detailed next week. The judge said the center did not meet a high standard necessary to issue the temporary restraining order.Clumps of oil residue lie on the shore after fishing outings were suspended because of an oil spill that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps along the Gulf coast in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. FILE – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, March 24, 2026, in Washington. FILE – Doug Burgum, Secretary of Interior, delivers speech at the reception of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum at U.S. Ambassador’s Residence, March 13, 2026, in Tokyo. FILE – An oil tanker passes at sunrise while a man fishes in Port Aransas, Texas, Aug. 9, 2025. Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, called it disappointing that the court “didn’t immediately stop Hegseth’s reckless power grab.” “We’ll be outside the Department of the Interior on Tuesday protesting this outrageous abuse by Trump’s extinction committee. We’ll certainly be back in court to save the Rice’s whale and all of the Gulf of Mexico’s wildlife from being driven to extinction by the oil industry,” he said.Environmental groups say the administration is seeking an exemption to avoid the intensive process required for an Endangered Species Act exemption. They say such an exemption could set a dangerous precedent for future fossil fuel projects.earlier this month spread 373 miles , contaminating at least six species and polluting seven protected natural reserves. BP’swreaked havoc on the Gulf, spilling 134 million gallons of oil and devastating life in the region. The administration approved BP’s new $5 billion ultra-deepwater drilling project in the Gulf just weeks ago. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’sWhat to know about the planned Saturday, March 28 ‘No Kings’ protests in Southern CaliforniaUCLA faces questions after falling short of the Sweet 16Things to do in the San Fernando Valley, LA area, March 26-April 3Mayor Bass announces initiative to install 60,000 solar-powered street lights citywide
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