Following today’s announcement on the federal approval of Venture Global’s LNG project in Cameron Parish, Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), released the following statement:
Most people in Louisiana have never heard of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, DC, but its decisions significantly impact our everyday lives. The recent approval of Venture Global’s enormous liquefied natural gas facility in Cameron Parish follows a series of unjust decisions by FERC that have unleashed serious problems for Gulf Coast communities.
Residents are dealing with the disruptions brought on by constructing these facilities, which include draining the local water supply to the point that the water level is inadequate to put out a fire. LNG is ripping apart the livelihoods of fishing families. Air pollution has increased with LNG operations, which also contribute to the climate crisis that whips up super storms in our region. Through all of this, FERC has neglected the important work of establishing standards for decision-making that ensures environmental and climate justice.
We’re left with a FERC decision that will make our communities more polluted and our planet hotter.
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About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from deadly air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to put environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ uses research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice.
