An ELI Breaking News Public Webinar
On March 31, the federal government convened a high-level meeting of the Endangered Species Committee (informally known as the “God Squad”), the first in over 30 years. Citing the Secretary of Defense’s finding that the Endangered Species Act threatens national security by hindering Gulf of Mexico oil and gas exploration, the Committee exempted all such activity across the Gulf from ESA protections.
This extraordinary action was immediately challenged in court, with multiple lawsuits alleging deficiencies in both the procedure and substance of the Committee’s decision. While the near-term effects on Gulf leasing and drilling are unclear, there is immediate concern about impacts on species such as the Rice’s whale, as well as the prospect of setting a legal precedent for future decisions.
Join the Environmental Law Institute and leading experts in the ESA, energy law, and national security law to discuss these breaking developments, the legal issues and interests at stake, and the pending litigation.
Speakers:
Rebecca Bratspies, Oliver Houck Chair in Environmental Law, Tulane University Law School, Moderator
Chinonso Anozie, Assistant Professor of Law, The University of Houston Law Center Faculty
Pat Parenteau, Professor of Law Emeritus, Vermont Law
Mark Nevitt, Associate Professor of Law, Emory Law
Materials:
Materials will be posted as they are received.
ELI Members will have access to a recording of this session (usually posted within 3-5 business days). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, see the many benefits of membership and how to join.