Yesterday, along with The Sierra Club and Louisiana Bucket Brigade, we filed a state court challenge to the re-issued coastal use permit for the proposed Commonwealth LNG export facility, in an effort to safeguard the Gulf’s vulnerable ecosystems, marine life and coastal communities. You can read the full press release published by The Sierra Club here. We are arguing that the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy failed to provide proper public notice, allow public comment or hold a public hearing before reissuing the permit. The agency improperly relied on a final Environmental Impact Study that a federal appeals court had already found unlawful and failed to adequately consider environmental justice and climate impacts, despite a state court order overturning the project’s original permit last October (see blog post linked below). If built, the Commonwealth LNG facility would permanently destroy more than 75 acres of wetlands in the Calcasieu Pass area, alter hundreds more and significantly increase greenhouse gas pollution, with projected annual emissions equivalent to those of 14 coal-fired power plants or 13 million gasoline-powered vehicles.
“LDCE failed to consider the project’s environmental justice and climate change impacts, and inadequately assessed the cumulative impacts from the Commonwealth LNG project with other nearby LNG export facilities”, said Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director for Turtle Island Restoration Network. “This includes the six liquified LNG export terminals proposed, approved, under construction, or operating in the Lake Charles, Calcasieu River area. The communities of Louisiana deserve to be protected from further pollution and environmental harm.”
Click here to read about the beginning stages of this campaign from October 2025.
