Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Rebekah Hinojosa, (956) 975-6634, Rebekah.Hinojosa@sierraclub.org
Brownsville, TX -- Today, Texas residents from Brownsville and nearby communities attended a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) public meeting to speak out against the air pollution permit for the proposed Annova LNG fracked gas export terminal.
The TCEQ public meeting was the last remaining opportunity for residents to publicly voice their concerns about air pollution from the project, which is one of three fracked gas export terminals proposed for the Rio Grande Valley. Dozens of local opponents of the project rallied outside the public meeting -- hosted more than a 30-minute drive away from the cities of Port Isabel and South Padre that would be affected by the LNG projects -- before going inside to give public testimony.
“Texans from across the state have spoken out countless times in opposition to Annova LNG and the other fracked gas projects proposed for our community,” said Sierra Club Brownsville Organizer Rebekah Hinojosa. “We shouldn’t have to sacrifice our health, our pristine coastline, our ecotourism industry, and our diverse wildlife, all so that fossil fuel companies can export more fracked gas overseas.”
In addition to attending the TCEQ public meeting, groups opposing the project are also continuing to engage with federal agencies in their reviews. Yesterday, the Sierra Club and a coalition of organizations submitted more than 1,000 public comments as well as technical comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on its draft environmental impact statement on the project, raising concerns that review contains “numerous informational gaps, and reaches multiple conclusions that lack support or are contrary to the available evidence.”
The same groups also weighed in with the Army Corps of Engineers last week on Annova LNG’s application for a Clean Water Act permit, raising concerns about impacts on wetlands and endangered species. If built, the Annova LNG terminal would industrialize Brownsville’s coastline and subject communities to increased pollution. It would also be located in a wildlife corridor, threatening the survival of the endangered ocelot population and other local wildlife.
“The public needs to hold the regulatory agencies accountable -- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) -- in charge of reviewing Annova LNG and the other two LNG projects, because they have terrible reputations for rubber stamping permits for the polluting fossil fuel industry,” said Marta Peña of Save RGV from LNG.
Read comments submitted to FERC here.
Read comments submitted to the Army Corps here.
For photos of today’s protest or additional comments from local spokespeople, contact Rebekah Hinojosa at (956) 975-6634 or Rebekah.Hinojosa@sierraclub.org.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.