BP Didn’t Ask for Gulf ‘God Squad’ Exemption From Species Law

BP America has not applied for a formal exemption from the Endangered Species Act for the company’s future oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The Trump administration is convening the Endangered Species Committee, or “God Squad,” on March 31 to exempt offshore oil and gas operations in the Gulf from ESA compliance. The Interior Department announced the meeting the same day as it approved BP’s $5 billion Kaskida oil project in the Gulf.

The Interior Department has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the God Squad’s planned ...