Trump's God Squad Clears Gulf Drilling, Exempts TSA from Flight Deck
Key Takeaways
- A six-member God Squad unanimously exempted Gulf drilling from Endangered Species Act protections.
- The move removes protections for endangered Gulf species, enabling expanded oil and gas extraction.
- Rice's whale, among the Gulf's rarest species, faces heightened extinction risk.
Gulf Drilling Exemption
The Trump administration's God Squad unanimously approved an unprecedented blanket exemption for Gulf drilling.
The committee invoked national security to bypass the Endangered Species Act, used only twice since 1973.
The Gulf is home to over 50 endangered species including the Rice's whale with fewer than 50 remaining.
Environmental groups filed suit calling the action illegal.
Rice's Whale at Risk
The exemption threatens dozens of species including the critically endangered Rice's whale.
The whale's population plummeted from approximately 66 to 51 following Deepwater Horizon.
The God Squad's exemption overrides existing protective measures.
TSA Flight Deck Rule
The administration nullified the TSA rule requiring two authorized individuals in the flight deck.
The move triggered lawsuits from representatives including Deb Haaland.
The timing linked energy expansion with transportation deregulation.
International Reaction
International reaction framed the Gulf exemption as emblematic of American unilateralism.
Noticias Ambientales compared the move to ignoring COP15 commitments.
RFI noted the God Squad had been used only twice before.
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