Liz Doherty, liz.doherty@sierraclub.org
Brownsville, TX -- Today, news broke that Annova LNG has abandoned its plans for its LNG fracked gas export terminal when it filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to withdraw its certificate.
Annova LNG, backed by Exelon, Black and Veatch, Enbridge, and Kiewit Energy group, was one of three fracked gas export terminals proposed for the Rio Grande Valley. If built, Annova LNG would have destroyed wetlands, blocked a wildlife corridor threatening the survival of endangered wildlife, and put communities needlessly at risk.
The decision was announced just after CEO Omar Khayum abruptly left the company to take a job at TC Energy. This news also comes the day before the DC Circuit will hear arguments on FERC's approvals of proposed export terminals Rio Grande LNG, Texas LNG, and the aforementioned Annova LNG terminal. These proposed terminals would liquefy fracked gas from the Eagle Ford and Permian shale basins for export through the Port of Brownsville. The combined impact of these three proposed projects would be devastating for the region, threatening Indigenous rights, community health, wildlife, and the climate.
The oil and gas industry has made their interest in export facilities clear as a pathway to drive new markets for dirty fuels. Communities living near these operations and infrastructure are impacted by pollution and health risks, and then pollution is exported overseas, contributing to climate change and poor health outcomes.
“Today’s victory is the result of six years of tireless efforts of the Rio Grande Valley communities in South Texas who have written comments, attended hearings, protested banks, and more to protect their health, their precious coastline and the climate from Annova LNG’s proposed fracked gas project,” said Sierra Club Gulf Coast Campaign representative Bekah Hinojosa, adding, “No LNG export terminal has any place in our communities or our energy future, and today’s news is a step in the right direction to putting an end to exporting fracked gas across the world.”
“Ayema ahua’p pele maute alpa Esto’k Gna. It is a good day to be a human being. Thank you to all who have worked so hard to fight this fracked gas project and protect our Sacred lands from pollution. There’s more work to do to ensure other proposed fracked gas export terminals, which would desecrate our burial sites and sacred lands, are never built, but today we celebrate this important victory for our people and our environment. The other two Rio Grande Valley proposed LNG terminals must be stopped,” said Juan Mancias, Chairman of the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million 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.