The New York Times reported that President Biden is planning to halt approvals for new gas export terminals and include the terminals’ climate impacts in its review process. In response to this news, Anne Rolfes, Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, released the following statement:

“If the reports are true, then we welcome the Biden administration’s decision to halt approvals of gas export terminals and include climate impacts in its review process. If their review process is honest, then we know they will undoubtedly conclude that gas export terminals will do nothing but hasten climate change and turn Louisiana into an industrial wasteland.

For the last three years, we’ve worked with the fishers, shrimpers and people of Southwest Louisiana to ring the alarm on the devastating impacts that gas export terminals have on our seafood industry, our coast, and our planet. In southeast Louisiana in Plaquemines Parish, the industry threatens the drinking water supply. We are glad that finally, Biden listened to us.

We will need to do more and put an end to this industry once and for all. This industry is absolutely incompatible with human life. It destroys fishing communities that have been here for generations, pollutes our air and sucks up our water supply, even during a drought.

For too long these companies have acted with impunity. Time and time again, these companies have shown their true nature, but Louisiana’s state officials and regulators have refused to see the truth. Today, Biden is making clear that gas export terminals don’t belong in Louisiana. The fishers, shrimpers and people of Louisiana are the ones who belong here. Let’s give the gas export industry the boot, once and for all.”

Fishermen, shrimpers and residents of Cameron Parish have been mobilizing to halt the gas export terminal onslaught, including organizing a flotilla of shrimp boats outside of the LNG Summit of the Americas last year, and disrupting the Americas Energy Summit last week.

The terminals not only destroy once abundant fishing grounds, the massive tankers also prevent shrimping and fishing boats from accessing the Calcasieu River. In addition to threatening the seafood industry, gas export terminals also make surrounding areas more vulnerable to flooding during major hurricanes. The terminals eat away at natural barriers such as cheniere plains and sandbars, and their massive walls only push the storm surge into nearby communities.

Reports released by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade also demonstrate that gas export terminals are underreporting violations at their facility. One terminal, Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass, had over 2,000 permit deviations in its first year of operations. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued Venture Global a compliance order for these deviations.

In addition to the three operational gas export terminals, and three others under construction, the oil and gas industry is trying to build or expand 10 more gas export terminals in Louisiana, with a larger onslaught along the Gulf Coast.