EJ Leaders Flood Comment Period Calling Out FERC For Ignoring Roundtable Concerns By Approving LNG

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) closed the comment period for the docket following the March 29 FERC Environmental Justice Roundtable. During that period, just after hearing the environmental and health concerns of two community leaders at the roundtable regarding fossil fuel infrastructure, FERC ignored their concerns and approved multiple fossil fuel projects, including Alaska LNG, Texas LNG, and Rio Grande LNG projects. 

During the comment period, over 110 community leaders and grassroots organizations submitted comments and a letter to FERC calling out the lack of environmental justice community representation during the roundtable and the subsequent lack of commitment to environmental justice when deciding to approve fossil fuel projects that will directly impact communities on the frontlines of development.    

“The policy asks coming out of the roundtable were clear and stated by speakers across all three panels: communities across the country are counting on FERC to take action in their decision-making based on what they have heard from frontline and fenceline communities ... This means FERC must make decisions based on what they hear and learn, including denying permits for projects that harm communities by polluting air, poisoning drinking water, and making children’s fields and playgrounds toxic. The first step is to immediately stop making permitting decisions until adequate environmental justice and greenhouse gas guidances are finalized,” reads the letter.  

The letter also urges President Biden to appoint a chairperson and fifth commissioner to FERC who is an environmental justice and energy justice champion, after the seat has sat vacant for months.

President Biden has stated that environmental justice is a key priority for his administration and recently signed an executive order to protect frontline communities, yet the latest slew of fossil fuel project approvals directly undermines the goals listed in the order. 

In response, environmental justice leaders issued the following statements: 

James Hiatt, A Better Bayou, Lake Charles LA: “As a resident of Southwest Louisiana, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact that gas export terminals have on our wetlands and our community. These terminals require extensive infrastructure, including pipelines and dredging, which destroy the delicate ecosystems that make our bayous so special. They flare constantly, and destroy the pristine air quality all along the Gulf Coast. These terminals will drive up costs for American consumers, who will be left footing the higher energy and food bills caused by the massive amount of exports. The destruction of wetlands, nurseries and fisheries will further harm the already struggling seafood industry, causing the collapse of a generational way of life. Clearly, adding more export terminals along the Gulf Coast is only in the short-term profiteering interest and not in the public interest. We must prioritize protecting our people, environment, and way of life over short-term privately held and heavily tax-subsidized corporate profits. Environmental Justice is not just a talking point. Enough is enough.”

Ben Jealous, Sierra Club Executive Director: “FERC has taken the first step, but now it must do the work and better incorporate environmental justice and equity into its decision-making framework. FERC Commissioners have the power to make decisions – whether for individual permits or broader policies – that meaningfully and equitably take into account the impact of energy operations on overburdened communities. And that means they must be willing to deny a project when there are significant environmental justice impacts. We remain committed to work alongside communities across the country to ensure FERC fulfills its obligation to protect communities on the frontlines of proposed projects.”

Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice: “For years, the environmental justice community has called upon FERC to protect front and fence line communities, reject the notion of profit over people, and to do its part in stopping the proliferation of fossil fuel infrastructure. The FERC Roundtable on Equity and Environmental Justice was an important first step. The heart of this work begins now. The time to operationalize robust, substantive, environmental justice analysis is now. The time to deny projects on the grounds of environmental justice is now. The time to prioritize cumulative impact assessments and first, early, and ongoing engagement is now. WE ACT will continue to stand with and advocate alongside impacted communities. We are deeply committed to this work - now, tomorrow, and for the long haul.”

Morgan Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney, Natural Resources Defence Council’s Sustainable FERC Project: There is no doubt; FERC holds both an obligation and the authority to course-correct its approach to environmental justice impacts when it analyzes and considers gas projects. Soliciting input from a wide array of voices — most importantly those coming from communities directly impacted by proposed gas projects — was a good first step. Now the Commission must act swiftly to solidify a clear, robust and substantive framework for reviewing, assessing, and considering environmental justice impacts." 

Moneen Nasmith, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice: “FERC must make substantial changes to how it operates in order to advance environmental justice, including by ensuring robust community engagement and by fully incorporating EJ impacts in its analysis of proposed gas projects. Fortunately, FERC already has the legal authority to fix course and properly factor environmental justice into its decision-making. People deserve to have a say in major gas projects running through their communities and FERC needs to do much more to ensure that this happens."

Melanie Oldham, Better Brazoria Founder, Freeport, TX: Residents of my community Freeport TX have been living with the constant racial, economic, environmental, and public health problems that come with the rush to export gas and oil. We can’t deal with any more and we need real clean energy solutions like wind and solar instead. Biden, FERC and DOE must center environmental justice and community well-being in their decisions and develop the courage to say no to harmful projects."

Roishetta Ozane, Vessel Project Founder, Lake Charles, LA: “We cannot continue to sacrifice the health of our communities and the future of our planet for the profit of a few fossil fuel companies. It's time for FERC, DOE, and POTUS to stand up for the people and put an end to the approval of new fossil fuel infrastructure along the Gulf Coast. Our children deserve better. Let's prioritize a sustainable, just, and healthy future for all."

Debra Sullivan Ramirez, Displaced Mossville, Louisiana Resident and Community Organizer: “The poor actions of Oil and Gas industries with the permission from Governmental Entities who permit and regulate these companies allow them to wreak havoc upon innocent children and adults causing loss and damage to the people and their livelihoods in Mossville, Louisiana and other communities. These toxic polluting industries were given the permission to report inadequately and make false assessments.  to healthy food, inadequate transportation, air and water pollution, and unsafe homes. FERC, we the people ask you to stop violating our communities by approving LNG facilities in our already overburdened communities.”

Naomi Yoder, Healthy Gulf: "Commonwealth LNG is an unnecessary polluting behemoth, and none of the approvals for this facility should go forward. There aren't many places more vulnerable than this, at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and the bank of the Calcasieu Ship Channel, and the facility will destroy dozens of acres of invaluable wetlands and threatened bird habitat. Southwest Louisiana is not a sacrifice zone.