Courtney Naquin, courtney.naquin@sierraclub.org
Freeport, Texas - Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for extending the deadline for the expansion of Freeport LNG, the country’s second largest fracked gas export facility located on the Texas Gulf Coast. FERC allowed Freeport LNG to extend its deadline for completing Train 4 of its facility, despite failing to build since its authorization in May 2019. Sierra Club is challenging FERC’s decision because rather than substantiating its decision, FERC acted as a rubber stamp to move the delayed and unnecessary expansion forward.
Freeport LNG exports about 2 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas per day, about 15% of the nation’s LNG exports. If the facility is expanded, Freeport’s fracked gas export output would increase by approximately 33%. Fracked gas is a major source of methane pollution, which is a greenhouse gas that is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming our climate.
Methane gas facilities pose major threats to public health and safety. Freeport LNG has been offline since June 2022, when the facility had a massive explosion that created a 450-feet-high fireball, and is soon to re-open despite vocal community concerns regarding their safety. The explosion occurred in an area of the facility that had been inspected several weeks prior to the incident. Around 1.6 million cubic feet of fracked gas was burned during the fire, releasing tons of toxic pollution.
Melanie Oldham, founder of Citizens for Clean Air & Clean Water in Brazoria County, issued the following statement:
“Freeport LNG is one of the biggest public safety threats in this region, and many community members feel as though our public agencies are either neglecting or minimizing our concerns after Freeport LNG’s explosion that happened only a couple of months ago. With the imminent reopening of the facility, FERC’s decision to extend Freeport LNG’s application to build Train 4 is not only senseless, it is a slap in the face to our community. We are living with the trauma of a very recent and dangerous explosion, on top of all the pollution we routinely breathe, and now FERC is allowing Freeport LNG, the second largest export facility in the country, to grow. This will only increase the likelihood of more leaks and explosions with little to no real accountability and assurances for our health and safety. How are we supposed to place our trust in agencies like FERC or PHMSA to protect our communities when they keep making decisions in favor of industry instead of the well-being of our community? Enough is enough.”
Tom Gosselin, attorney with Sierra Club, issued the following statement,
“Within the 4 years that Freeport LNG had the chance to build Train 4, the facility continued to burden the Freeport community with toxic and climate-warming pollution and created an explosion that seriously risked people’s lives. FERC’s decision to provide Freeport LNG an extension in spite of their negligence towards public safety, is an act against the Freeport community’s well being. We are moving forward with legal action against FERC to ensure that the community is put first.”
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.