Sign in Subscribe
Air pollution

Continuous Air Pollution Violations at LNG Export Facilities in Southwest Louisiana

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Air pollution violations have been documented at liquified natural gas export facilities in Southwest Louisiana, with three facilities in Cameron Parish being out of compliance with the Clean Air Act for a significant portion of the past three years. According to a report from the Environmental Integrity Project, Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass LNG terminal and Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal have both been in violation of the Clean Air Act for the past 12 quarters, while the Cameron LNG export terminal has been out of compliance for 11 of the past 12 quarters. The report's author, Alexandra Shaykevich, noted that these facilities have a "terrible compliance record" and that Southwest Louisiana facilities have been in "nearly continuous" violation of the Clean Air Act for the past three years.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass LNG terminal has been in violation of the Clean Air Act for the past 12 quarters, with a total of 89 instances of excess pollution that released thousands of pounds of benzine, a known carcinogen, into the surrounding environment.
  • Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal has also been in violation of the Clean Air Act for the past 12 quarters.
  • Cameron LNG export terminal has been out of compliance with the Clean Air Act for 11 of the past 12 quarters.
  • The most common reasons for these violations include failure to report excess emissions and permit deviations to state regulators, exceeding allowed pollution limits for contaminants such as nitrous oxide, volatile organic compounds, and sulphur dioxide, and failure to properly operate equipment meant to control pollution levels.
  • The report also included tallies of Clean Water Act violations for LNG terminals in Southwest Louisiana, with Sabine Pass being out of compliance with the act's standards for 8 of the past 12 quarters.
  • Cameron Parish resident John Allaire, who lives nearby the facilities, has been affected by the pollution, with his home facing the Venture Global facility and six more planned or under construction facilities.

Statistics:

  • Cheniere Energy has paid $225,000 in fines as of July 29, 2025, for air quality violations.
  • The Environmental Integrity Project reports that the three facilities have had only two air enforcement actions opened from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) since 2020.
  • The report tallies 89 instances of excess pollution from Cameron LNG, with thousands of pounds of benzine released into the surrounding environment.
  • Sabine Pass had 9 effluent violations from July 2020 through June 2025, while Cameron LNG had 27, and Calcasieu Pass recorded 1.
  • Cameron LNG's violations involved fecal coliform and suspended solids, such as algae, bacteria, and industrial particles.
  • The report notes that the pattern of permit violations for existing facilities should be a factor in approving new facilities as the LNG industry continues its rapid expansion.

Sources:

  • Environmental Integrity Project report, "LNG Report-nonembargoed-10.29.25.pdf"
  • Environmental Integrity Project, Alexandra Shaykevich
  • Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality records
  • "GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE" article, lailluminator.com/subscribe
  • John Allaire's statements at a news conference
  • James Hiatt, director of local nonprofit For a Better Bayou, statement at the news conference

Read more