John,

Endangered beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet are about to face a seismic attack that will disrupt their eating and mating activities and could drive them closer to extinction. The Trump administration is allowing oil and gas company Hilcorp to expand its offshore drilling operations in Alaska — at the expense of beluga whales and other marine creatures.

This development is not just dangerous and cruel to whales. It also violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, which is why the Center has taken the administration to court.

Let Trump and his Fisheries Service know it's belugas, not oil-company profits, that must be protected.

Only a few hundred belugas are left in Cook Inlet. And Hilcorp has a record of safety violations and neglected pipeline leaks.

The rules Trump's lackeys pushed through for the sake of his fossil-fuel boosterism undercount how many whales will be hurt by the seismic blasts and other drilling and construction. And they go against the recommendations of the administration's own Marine Mammal Commission.

Seismic blasting used in oil exploration can reach 250 decibels and be heard for miles. The administration has shown it will kowtow to industry every chance it gets.

Tell them in no uncertain terms: Endangered beluga whales need our help, not an acoustic assault on their home.