A liquefied natural gas export (LNG) terminal under construction in Plaquemines Parish, La., has gotten an interim (first) environmental assessment go-ahead from staff members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for expansion. FERC regulates energy projects. The interim assessment weighs the good and bad of allowing the Louisiana LNG to increase its annual output from 24M metric tons to 27.2M. FERC had already OK'd terminal construction, which began in August 2021. Last year, terminal parent Venture Global LNG had asked the FERC for a decision to up its the terminal’s export capacity. Environmental justice groups - Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Sierra Club and Healthy Gulf - opposed the expansion, citing potential impact on air and water quality and climate change. The new assessment - which has to be OK'd by the entire commission - indicates that if the LNG plant operates under an amendment, approval "would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” But the FERC had already said expansion would not have altered its 2019 EIS approval for construction. FERC will take public comments on the assessment until Feb. 6. Comments will be sent to the agency for review. Venture Global came up with a $13.2B financing package for the facility in May. The terminal is expected to come online by 2024. (NOLA.com 01/13/23)
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