What did the committee decide on Tuesday, and what’s at stake for wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico?
Burgum said during its meeting on Tuesday that the panel would “be issuing an exemption from the requirements of the [Endangered Species Act] for all oil and gas exploration, development and production activities associated with the … outercontinential shelf oil and gas program.”
The exemption marks the latest move by the Trump Administration to weaken environmental protections. Previously, in November, the Administration proposed multiple rules rolling back the Endangered Species Act.
Hegseth told the committee on Tuesday that “recent hostile action” by Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global crude oil flows, “highlights yet again why robust domestic oil production is a national security imperative.”
“To be secure as a nation, we need a steady, affordable supply of our own energy…This is not just about gas prices, it’s about our ability to power our military and protect our nation,” said Hegseth, who was seated next to Burgum. “That vital energy supply is under threat.”
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