The United States Supreme Court rejected an effort by industry polluters and their political allies to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) comprehensive Clean Air Act standards to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from the oil and gas industry. The Court’s ruling is a victory for our families and communities, particularly those living on the front lines of oil and gas development. EPA’s methane safeguards —which include the first-ever standards for existing equipment as well as strengthened protections for new equipment— are a major win for climate and public health. As parties to the case, Sierra Club and its allies filed a brief opposing the industry’s legal claims. In declining their applications for a stay, the Supreme Court will allow EPA’s critical methane standards to take effect while the lower court reviews the rule’s legal merits.
dirty-fuels
Today, Gulf Coast and environmental groups filed petitions for review challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of Venture Global’s proposed CP2 LNG. In a 2-1 vote, FERC voted to approve the controversial liquified methane gas export project at its June meeting despite significant flaws in its analysis and information gaps in its review.
Today, the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, dubbed the “Dirty Deal,” sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso. The legislation would open up federal lands and waters to more leasing and drilling and unnecessarily rush the review of proposed gas export projects, forcing decisions to be based on flawed, outdated studies.
Today, a coalition of environmental organizations and an impacted landowner backed by eight state Attorneys General and the New Jersey Ratepayer Advocate won their challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project, which would allow a massive and unneeded expansion of gas capacity into New Jersey.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated, or invalidated, a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that allowed the construction of the Regional Energy Access Expansion project to expand the Transco pipeline to bring additional fracked gas from Pennsylvania to, primarily, New Jersey and Maryland.
Groups submitted a request for rehearing to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of Venture Global’s proposed methane gas export facility, CP2 LNG. FERC made the highly controversial decision at its June meeting with a slim 2-1 vote and a strong dissent from former commissioner Allison Clements. Niskanen Center submitted the request on behalf of Sierra Club and a coalition of environmental organizations and impacted community members.
Today, the US Court of Appeals for the DC District agreed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission failed to fully and adequately assess the cumulative and direct environmental and health impacts that would be caused by air pollution from Commonwealth LNG, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and Natural Gas Act. While the court stopped short of vacating FERC’s approval of the project, it returned the decision to FERC for reconsideration.
In a major win for climate and public health, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied yesterday an effort by the oil and gas industry and its political supporters to suspend critical EPA protections against methane pollution while the court considers legal challenges to the rule. Sierra Club and its allies submitted multiple briefings opposing these legal attacks, which a three-judge panel rejected with no noted dissents. This means that EPA’s badly-needed standards will remain in effect while the litigation proceeds in court.
Washington, DC - Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted to approve Venture Global’s gas export facility, CP2 LNG, despite clear evidence the facility will contribute to harm to the local community, climate, and nationwide energy price spikes and volatility.
Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced that CP2 LNG is on the agenda for its June meeting, in the midst of robust and ongoing frontline and national opposition to the gas export project. Evidence shows that expanded gas exports would be harmful to local communities, significantly contribute to dangerous climate change, and raise domestic energy prices nationwide.
The Senate voted to confirm three nominees to serve terms as commissioners at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Judy W. Chang was confirmed today, and David Rosner and Lindsay S. See were confirmed yesterday.
The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club sued the federal government today for failing to properly evaluate harms from the Alaska LNG project to several threatened and endangered species.