On Thursday March 17, people concerned about the ecosystem and community health of Southwest Louisiana will gather at a public hearing to give their testimonies to LDEQ regarding Commonwealth LNG’s air permit. The public hearing is at the Cameron Parish Police Jury’s West Annex Building. The Facebook event can be found here.

Commonwealth LNG export terminal is one of 10 liquified fracked gas (“liquified natural gas” or LNG) export terminals proposed for or existing in southwest Louisiana. The terminal would be a massive polluter, emitting millions of tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere every year (over 3.5 million tons).  In addition, other polluting chemicals are belched from these plants in large quantities such as Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Oxides, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  There are already three other massive LNG export terminals already operational in Cameron Parish, including Venture Global Calcasieu Pass LNG directly across the river on the East Bank. The pollution from all of these plants is so high that very soon, rural Cameron Parish will have the pollution emissions equal to the city of Baton Rouge. The coastal and flood protection provided by the coast and wetlands Commonwealth LNG would also pose a threat to Threatened and Endangered species such as the Eastern Black Rail birds and Rice’s whales.

When: Thursday, March 17 2022, 5:30 PM
Where: Cameron Parish Police Jury, West Annex Building, Meeting Room, 148 Smith Circle, Cameron, LA
Communities/organizations: Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Healthy Gulf, Sierra Club, Vessel Project, GreenARMY. The hearing will be livestreamed via the Louisiana Bucket Brigade Facebook page.

Background: Southwest Louisiana is ground zero for climate change, having experienced two hurricanes, a deep freeze, flooding, and tornadoes all in the span of 14 months. While facing climate change related disasters, Southwest Louisiana is also under threat of a massive fossil fuel LNG buildout of an enormous scale that would devastate the area’s already vulnerable
marshlands and environment, harm public health, and contribute to climate change. LNG, or liquified natural gas, is fracked gas that is 90% methane, a toxic and potent greenhouse gas that is 85% stronger than carbon dioxide at warming our climate, which makes natural disasters in places like SWLA more severe and frequent.

Commonwealth LNG is only one of seven additional fracked gas terminals proposed in Southwest Louisiana. These terminals would export fracked gas overseas. These terminals are receiving Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) massive tax breaks from Louisiana and local parishes, meaning they are not paying taxes that could otherwise go to schools and public services, or to help keep Parish property taxes in check.