Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC - Today, Republicans in the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 7176 to accelerate the expansion of liquefied methane gas exports, known as LNG, despite the harm to people and the climate. This bill would strip away the ability of the Department of Energy (DOE) to use established criteria to determine whether gas exports are in the public interest.
Earlier this week, Sierra Club joined over sixty other organizations in sending a letter to Congress opposing the legislation and urging further action to protect the country from the threats of expanded LNG exports. The letter makes clear it would be dangerous to take away the DOE’s ability to assess the public interest value of gas exports due to the fact that shipping LNG overseas contributes to climate change, worsens environmental injustices, and increases consumer energy costs.
In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour said:
“Republicans are trying to protect their friends in the fossil fuel industry by stripping away the ability of the federal government to assess the full impacts of LNG expansion on the economy, consumer energy costs, the climate, and local communities. Allowing the unfettered expansion of gas exports would jeopardize our national security and harm American families who will face more health-harming pollution, a more volatile climate, and higher energy prices. We urge the Senate to reject this harmful legislation.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.