Driftwood LNG permit challenged

Published 5:13 pm Sunday, July 24, 2022

The Sierra Club and Healthy Gulf are challenging a U.S.Army Corps of Engineers permit issued to Driftwood LNG, a $25 billion liquefied natural gas export terminal under construction in Carlyss.

The two environmental groups said they intend to file a lawsuit asking for a review of the dredge and fill permit, which is regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, The Advocate newspaper reported. The permits dictate how companies can dredge or fill material into U.S. waters, including wetlands.

In a joint statement, the organizations said the Corps permit for Driftwood LNG “falls short of legal requirements to avoid and compensate for impacts to wetlands.”

Email newsletter signup

Officials with Tellurian, the parent company of Driftwood LNG, and representatives from Healthy Gulf and Sierra Club did not respond to a request for comment from the American Press.

The Army Corp of Engineers did return a call from the American Press, saying it cannot comment because of the possibility of impending litigation.

The plant is expected to produce 27.6 million tons of LNG annually beginning in 2026.

Driftwood LNG made headlines in 2018 when it won a controversial $2 billion property tax break through Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program. The first-year break alone was estimated at more than $280 million.

In previous American Press articles, Tellurian officials said the project will create about 400 direct jobs and 6,500 construction jobs.