FERC Order Sets Aside Approval of CP2 LNG
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) paused its approval of the CP2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility pending a forthcoming air quality impact study. FERC announced a timetable for the supplemental environmental analysis, with a final decision expected in late July.
This decision comes as a direct result of litigation in the D.C. Circuit Court and requests for rehearing by NRDC and coalitions led by Sierra Club and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Following is a reaction from Caroline Reiser, senior staff attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“This pause of this massive LNG facility is a fundamental step toward holding developers accountable for the harm they inflict on communities and the environment. Families in Southwest Louisiana have endured enough toxic emissions and health risks. In the supplemental environmental review, FERC must mandate meaningful action to protect public health. Local residents deserve justice, not pollution.”
Nathan Matthews, Sierra Club senior attorney: “With this order, it seems FERC is finally willing to acknowledge that it has not done enough to properly consider the cumulative harm on communities caused by building so many of these LNG export terminals so close together. Prohibiting construction of CP2 LNG while FERC takes another look at the environmental impact of this massive, polluting facility is the right thing to do. Still, FERC must take concrete steps to properly evaluate the true scope of the dangers posed to communities from gas infrastructure moving forward and avoid making unwarranted approvals in the future.”
Megan Gibson, SELC senior attorney: “This order reveals that FERC recognizes that CP2 LNG’s environmental impacts are too great to pass through any real scrutiny. And while the pause on construction may offer the community some temporary relief, it is, at best, a short-term fix to a much deeper problem. FERC’s original authorization was deeply flawed, and instead of addressing those critical issues, FERC has essentially doubled down on its previous errors in this order. This continued failure to fulfill its regulatory duty is not just an oversight—it is a failure to protect vulnerable communities and our economy from the real potential harms of this massive export project.”
James Hiatt, director of For a Better Bayou: “Through the lenses of optical gas imaging, we’ve seen massive plumes of toxic emissions, undeniable proof that these projects poison the air we breathe. Modeling must use the latest data from the most local sources to fully capture the harm these facilities inflict on Cameron Parish. Anything less is a betrayal of our community. FERC must choose justice over profit and stop sacrificing people for polluters.”
Roishetta Ozane, founder of the Vessel Project of Louisiana: “As a mother living in an environmental justice community, I see firsthand how LNG facilities prioritize profit over the well-being of our families. Commonwealth and CP2 are no different. We are happy about the delay but these projects don’t ever need to be approved and neither does any other LNG facility. My children are suffering from health conditions that threaten their daily lives, all while regulatory agencies and elected officials turn a blind eye. It's time for our leaders to put people before profit and prioritize the health of our communities over the pollution that harms us. We deserve a future where our children's health is safeguarded, not sacrificed.”
Travis Dardar, indigenous fisherman of Cameron, Louisiana, and founder of FISH (Fishermen Involved in Sustaining our Heritage): “I, along with the fishermen in Carmon, Louisiana, know firsthand how harmful LNG exports are, and see the total disregard they have for human life as they poison our families and seafood. FERC’s pause on construction may give us some temporary reprieve, but this Project never should have been authorized in the first place. As far as anyone who believes in the fairytale of LNG being cleaner, we have paid with our communities and livelihoods. It’s time to break these chains and turn away from this false solution.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).