Endangered Species Committee Grants ESA Exemption to GOA Oil & Gas Activities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Media Contact: media@nullnoia.org
Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito issued the following statement following the Endangered Species Committee voting unanimously to grant an ESA Section 7 exemption for the offshore oil and gas program in the Gulf of America. The action exempts Gulf of America oil and gas activities from certain Endangered Species Act requirements on national security grounds, including the avoidance and minimization measures outlined in the National Marine Fisheries Service’s 2025 Biological Opinion (BiOp) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2018 and 2025 consultation decisions. Milito said:
Energy security is national security, and the Gulf of America remains indispensable to both. Offshore oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America are already subject to one of the most comprehensive and robust environmental regulatory frameworks in the world, including rigorous requirements under NEPA, OCSLA, CWA, CAA, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and others. Today's decision reflects that these robust protections are in place, and that serial litigation from activist groups targeting a lawful, well-regulated industry should not be allowed to indefinitely obstruct projects of clear national importance.
American energy leadership and American environmental performance go hand in hand. American energy leadership depends upon regulatory certainty, and we need to work together to achieve outcomes that advance U.S. energy security and environmental stewardship. NOIA looks forward to working with Congress and the White House to advance additional permitting and regulatory reforms needed to provide long-term investment certainty and ensure America's offshore energy potential is fully realized.
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About NOIA
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public, and our environment.
To learn more about the Gulf of America’s role in anchoring U.S. energy leadership, visit GulfofAmericaForward.com.
