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April 1, 2026

Federal ‘God squad' exempts oil and gas drilling in the Gulf from endangered species rules

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

NOAA Fisheries (Permit #779-1633) via AP [enlarge]
Environmental groups say the exemption would speed the extinction of the rare Rice’s whale, which is found exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Trump administration on Tuesday exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said environmentalists' lawsuits against the industry threatened to hobble domestic energy supplies as the U.S. wages war against Iran.


 
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