Image via Canva Pro: Maciej Bledowski
Sometimes it’s a setup but it’s still important to go. Last week, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club joined a parade of invited high-priced lobby types as the Texas House of Representatives held a special hearing in Port Arthur on the Biden Administration’s pause on providing licenses to LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) export facilities, which was announced in January.
Dade Phelan opens the Select Committee hearing
The “House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports” held a five-hour hearing, which was opened by current Speaker Dade Phelan, who is from the area, and said that Texas could not wait while Biden paused the development of Texas oil and gas industry and jobs. Over the next five hours, virtually all of the invited speakers said the Biden pause - which only impacts two projects in Texas - would be devastating to the industry and cause harm. Of the invited speakers, only Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter’s Cyrus Reed, said the pause was a good thing, and in fact more than a pause was needed to protect the overburdened frontline communities facing more and more industrialization. You can see our initial comments filed here, as well as some additional comments provided to the committee.
Big takeaway? Even if the two paused projects don’t move forward, there are multiple projects being developed in Texas that will have an outsized impact on climate change, while also polluting local communities and destroying wetlands.
While all of the invited speakers were largely opposed to the pause, several concerned community members from both Port Arthur and Freeport, where an existing LNG facility has had a series of safety and environmental issues, did support the pause and called for more action to protect communities. Among the local speakers both Hilton Kelly and John Beard said enough was enough, while local Sierra Club volunteer Ellen Buchanan, who noted that the industrialization of the coast was destroying the very wetlands that protects local communities on days like the day of the hearing, where thunderstorms caused local flooding conditions. Melanie Oldham, a nurse from Freeport, also noted that Freeport LNG had not been a good neighbor and that operators were not properly trained.
Community members address the committee. Image provided by Cyrus Reed.
Join the livestream - "Burning Issues" LNG Town Hall on May 9
Join us and Progress Texas for a Town Hall - May 9th, 12:00 PM CT - where we’ll be taking an in depth look at Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) operations in Texas and the major health risks, environmental damages, and real costs of prioritizing Big Oil and Gas.
RSVP at https://act.progresstexas.org/a/townhall_24#!
At this Town Hall, we'll dive into some background on LNG in Texas, its implications and impact on frontline communities and the environment, and shine light on the shady connections between Republicans and their Big Oil and Gas donors. Together, let's explore innovative solutions and grassroots initiatives to hold both LNG companies and their political cronies accountable. It’s time to strategize and take action for a cleaner, greener future in Texas.
Panelists:
Elida Castillo, Texas Director, Chispa TX
Emma Guevara, Brownsville (Rio Grande Valley) Organizer, Sierra Club
John Beard, CEO, Port Arthur Community Action Network
Naomi Yoder, GIS Data Manager, Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice
Moderated by:
Reagan Stone, Advocacy Manager, Progress Texas