Oil rigs in the region now face tougher regulations to ensure their systems are up-to-date. They are also required to comply with Endangered Species Act requirements to minimize impacts on vulnerable animals. The latest threat finding on Rice’s whale says ships should immediately start using technology to avoid ship strikes and monitor the animal’s presence.
But Trump has rolled back many environmental protections that he thought stood in the way of oil. It lifted bans on drilling in environmentally sensitive areas. Its marine fossil fuel expansion plan, Center for Biological Diversity is estimatedbased on average spill rates in recent decades, could cause thousands of oil spills across the country. And his leadership superseded instruction In February, oil and gas vessels slowed down in the western gulf to avoid hitting whales.
God Squad may waive other regulations regarding industrial activities. Given that this national security exemption is unprecedented, only time will tell how that plays out, Farber said. But he is awaiting the next trial.
The Trump administration “has a real advantage because it (claims) national security, but they’re really pushing it to their limits,” he said.
Plater said the Endangered Species Act is one of the few laws that allows citizens to strengthen enforcement through meaningful action. He saw it firsthand: The snail case that thrust the law into the public eye decades ago was spurred by an idea for a paper from one of his law students.
The committee that emerged from that case, he says, is “a very fair, careful bypass” for extreme scenarios in most cases.
Now, Plater fears, “we will be up in arms to roll back mandatory citizen protections for all endangered and threatened species in the Gulf.”
“It’s not just about whaling and the need for fossil fuels. It’s another move to politicize citizen participation in law enforcement and the protection of public values,” he said. “Avoid almost any environmental controversy and you’ll soon be looking at big questions about democratic governance.”
Kiley Price is a reporter for Inside Climate News with a special interest in wildlife, ocean health, food systems and climate change. He writes ICN’s Climate Today newsletter, which covers the latest environmental news every week.
He earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Time, Scientific American, and more. He is a former Pulitzer Reporting Fellow, during which he spent a month in Thailand covering the intersection between Buddhism and the country’s environmental movement.
This story appeared first Domestic Climate News.
