Federal Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Gulf of America Energy Development

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a legal challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological opinion and consultation determination regarding oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America, the Department of Justice announced.

The lawsuit challenged the agency's 2018 biological opinion and 2025 consultation determination. The dismissal follows a unanimous vote in March by the Endangered Species Committee, chaired by the Secretary of the Interior, which exempted Gulf of America oil and gas activities from Endangered Species Act requirements. That decision came after a finding by the Secretary of War that an exemption was necessary for national security reasons.

Under federal statute, the Endangered Species Committee is directed to grant an exemption for federal agency actions if the Secretary of War determines it is necessary for national security. According to the Justice Department, the District of Columbia ruling marks the third court decision upholding the exemption, following similar rulings in Louisiana in April and Maryland in June.

Justice Department leadership welcomed the court's action. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. stated that the department would continue defending efforts to ensure national security, adding that the court appropriately applied the exemption. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) noted that the decision confirms the national security exemption for energy activities in the region.

The case was handled by attorneys from the ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section.

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