Leading environmental groups sued the Trump administration Tuesday to stop an offshore oil and natural gas exploration technique called seismic testing.
The federal government authorization allows for incidental harm to wildlife through seismic testing. The lawsuit says that violates federal law including the Endangered Species Act.
The exploration technique involves blasts of sound that scientists agree disrupts vital behaviors like feeding and navigating. The federal lawsuit was filed in South Carolina.
Nine environmental groups are plaintiffs in the lawsuit including the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana and the Sierra Club.
The Trump administration is expected to issue permits soon authorizing the testing in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in 30 years, from Delaware to Central Florida.
