FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2024
Contact: Ashley Sullivan, ashley.sullivan@weact.org
WASHINGTON – At its monthly open meeting yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted to approve the construction and operation of Venture Global’s proposed Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project. This decision comes despite broad opposition from frontline community advocates, environmental and environmental justice groups, elected officials, and many other stakeholders who have sounded the alarm for months about the harmful impacts of CP2 and in general, the proliferation of LNG exports. The overwhelming call from these groups is that this project is a mistake, and that the continued growth of LNG and fossil fuel infrastructure in Gulf communities is a direct threat to public health, the economy, and the climate.
The CP2 project will be one of the largest natural gas projects in the country and would have profound negative consequences for air quality, public health and economy of the local community in Cameron Parish as well as for domestic energy prices. It is also projected to release 190 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is comparable to about 20 times the annual emissions of the Willow Oil Drilling Project in Alaska or more than 42 million gas cars or 51 coal power plants.
WE ACT has spoken in the past about the importance of the need to follow through on environmental justice and equity in this space. This decision demonstrates just how crucial having appropriate leadership in FERC is. In reaction to the FERC’s vote, Anastasia Gordon, WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s Federal Policy Director has this to say:
“FERC’s authorization of CP2 misses the urgency of the moment, ignoring the profound and devastating impacts it will have on neighboring communities, public health, the economy, and the climate for many years to come. Continuing to greenlight LNG export projects jeopardizes the health and safety of frontline and environmental justice communities, drives up domestic energy prices, and perpetuates the climate crisis. This is why the Administration’s pause on permitting gas exports as DOE updates its public interest analysis is so critical. Accounting for these impacts should result in one conclusion – denial of new LNG projects like CP2 because they are not in the public interest. We will never let up in calling for the Commission to turn their promises into action by centering environmental justice into their decision-making processes to safeguard overburdened communities that bear the brunt of fossil fuel infrastructure and pollution.”
# # #
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.