Earlier this month in downtown New Orleans, the Energy Summit of the Americas took place just 20 miles from the communities and landscape that the Venture Global executives in attendance are happy to destroy. The ongoing construction on the liquefied natural gas export terminal in Plaquemines Parish by Venture Global poses significant and likely catastrophic threats to Louisiana residents and landscape as well as 35.8 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions.
Our Gulf is not a sacrifice zone, and the people of Louisiana are not powerless to the exploitation of our communities by energy corporations.
We urge more of the public to oppose the LNG project. According to a recent report by Dr. Ivor van Heerden and other credible sources, the construction of the terminal outside of the protection of levees means it will be susceptible to immense flooding and runoff pollution into already scarce drinking water sources despite disputed claims that the site will be prepared for such events. This comes just months after President Joe Biden approved a federal state of emergency for Louisiana due to the drought-induced threat and impacts of saltwater intrusion in communities south of New Orleans where the new facility is located.
Furthermore, the above report assesses the likely output of greenhouse gases by the LNG terminal to be approximately that of 42 coal plants or 35.8 million cars.
We at the Sunrise Movement of New Orleans, an active group of young environmentalists, strongly oppose this project, especially since Venture Global has been approved for $834 million in tax exemptions over a 10-year period, roughly equaling $2.8 million per job which the company has promised to bring Louisiana — at least until they abandon the community, just as the Freeport Sulfur Company did to Plaquemines decades ago.
WILLEM MYERS
Sunrise Movement of Louisiana
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings