"The agency again failed to account for full environmental justice and climate impacts, opponents argue."
"Environmental advocates, landowners, and fishers filed two petitions with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday, challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) recent authorization for the construction of a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. FERC approved the Calcasieu Pass (CP2) LNG terminal proposed by Venture Global in a 2-1 vote in late June.
“The approval of the CP2 LNG project is a clear indication that FERC is serving the interests of powerful industry actors rather than protecting vulnerable communities and upholding the public interest,” James Hiatt, a former oil refinery worker and Director of the Louisiana-based nonprofit For a Better Bayou, wrote in a prepared statement.
The petitions are the latest effort to block construction of the CP2 LNG facility, which could increase greenhouse gas emissions by up to 190 millions tons per year, the equivalent of 51 coal-fired power plants, according to the Sierra Club, one of the groups involved. In addition to climate warming emissions, the facility could also release pollution more directly harmful to human health, such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter pollution, and volatile organic compounds. Commercial fishers are concerned that the proposed facility — in addition to the three existing LNG export terminals in the parish — will also disturb areas where they fish."
Sara Sneath reports for DeSmog September 6, 2024.
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