Flawed federal assessment for Gulf oil drilling is thrown out by court

Flawed federal assessment for Gulf oil drilling is thrown out by court

A U.S. District Court has rejected a flawed federal environmental assessment that underestimated the risks of offshore drilling to endangered marine species in the Gulf of Mexico.

Aman Azhar reports for Inside Climate News.


In short:

  • The court found the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2020 biological opinion underestimated the risks of oil spills and failed to protect endangered species like the Rice’s whale.
  • The court ruled that the opinion violated the law by assuming that large oil spills, like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, were unlikely to occur.
  • The federal agency must produce a new, legally compliant assessment by December 2024.

Key quote:

“This decision means the Fisheries Service must comply with the law to put in place meaningful safeguards for the Gulf’s rarest marine species.”

— Chris Eaton, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Oceans Program

Why this matters:

Endangered species in the Gulf face severe risks from oil drilling, with flawed assessments potentially worsening these threats. Proper environmental oversight is crucial to prevent further ecological disasters.

Read more: Oil companies pursue offshore drilling, touting lower emissions

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