Sierra Club files petitions with DOE opposing Cameron LNG plant

A national environmental group is continuing efforts to halt the $5.6 billion expansion at Cheniere Energy’s liquefied natural gas facility at Sabine Pass in Cameron Parish. San Francisco-based Sierra Club filed petitions with the U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday in opposition to the company’s being granted clearance to begin constructing the facility, which will enable Sabine Pass Liquefaction to export LNG on the international market. The Sierra Club decided to battle federal regulators over all applications from companies interested in selling LNG. Complaints have also been filed against Sempra Energy’s Cameron LNG facility. Deborah Nardone, Sierra’s director of the Beyond Natural Gas campaign, says the group is interested in seeing regulations imposed on the country’s LNG industry. The environmental group contends that technology like hydraulic fracturing leads to air and water contamination. On Aug. 8, the U.S. Department of Energy gave Sabine Pass Liquefaction authority to proceed with its project. In its report, the agency wrote, “On the basis of the environmental assessment, DOE has determined that granting the application of Sabine Pass for authority to export LNG, subject to the environmental conditions imposed on Sabine Pass that are set forth in the environmental assessment … will not have a significant effect on the human environment. The preparation of an environmental impact statement, therefore, is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact.” The full story is available here.