The U.S. now leads the world in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, yet that distinction comes at an incredible cost for communities overburdened by the industry itself. Fisherman Travis Dardar, who moved seven years ago to Cameron Parish in Southwest Louisiana, is now surrounded by export terminals. Dardar is originally from Isle de Jean Charles, an islet needlessly sacrificed due to climate change and exclusion from a levee system that would’ve benefitted all who live behind that protective barrier had the Army Corps of Engineers spent the $100 million to include it.
“This place reminded me of where I’m from and what that used to look like,” Dardar said during a press conference last week. “But, this plant pretty much covers the entire fishing grounds… I feel like it’s over. We don’t know what tomorrow brings.” Dardar’s remarks concern Venture Global’s forthcoming CP2 facility. The company already has a massive footprint in Southwest Louisiana, where an existing Calcasieu Pass Facility continues to cause problems for residents. It’s unclear when or if CP2 will move forward, as the environmental review timeline for that project was suspended by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in July due to the company’s seeming unwillingness to provide necessary information.
For the facilities currently in operation, residents like Dardar must contend with their new neighbors destroying their very way of life. Dardar described the bright flares that bring light pollution to his property and the noise pollution that comes with constant operation. “If they build [CP2] only a couple hundred feet from our property they’ll be rattling the pictures off the wall,” Dardar said Friday. Venture Global wants to buy out residents like Dardar but continues changing its terms and even how much the company is willing to pay.
Getting back the precious fishing grounds CP2 will overtake is impossible, however. As oyster season begins, fishermen like Dardar are already contending with a massive spill of pogy that may further threaten their livelihoods. According to NOLA.com, fishermen have already reported seeing dead redfish amongst the hundreds of thousands of pounds of pogy abandoned by Omega Protein. It’s unclear how the 900,000 dead fish dumped near Cameron Parish’s Holly Beach will impact marine life, but worries persist.
There is simply no way for Venture Global to do the right thing if its CP2 facility is in operation. And the LNG industry isn’t what communities impacted by export terminals want, either. Southwest Louisiana could lead the way with renewables if a proposed wind energy area were approved off the coast of Lake Charles. Offshore wind has been proven to help improve marine habitats and could put Dardar’s concerns at ease were Southwest Louisiana to finally turn its back on LNG export terminals.