Media Contact:
Rebekah Staub, Earthworks, rstaub@earthworks.org
WASHINGTON — On Jan. 5, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced the Maritime Administration (MARAD) will accelerate approvals for offshore oil and gas export projects by taking charge of deepwater port licensing from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
The decision could advance four offshore oil and gas export terminals in Texas and Louisiana, including the first floating LNG export terminal in the U.S., without fully assessing their environmental and safety risks. The pledge to accelerate approvals through MARAD comes despite the agency terminating the deepwater port license application for West Delta LNG in December.
The shift hands off environmental and safety risk assessments to MARAD, which has been criticized for lacking the proper expertise and staffing capacity to take them on. Previously, MARAD and USCG worked together in each of their expertise areas to jointly review applications. MARAD will now be the sole agency charged with considering proposals for offshore oil and gas export terminals, none of which currently exists in the U.S.
Increasing LNG exports raises domestic energy prices, thereby increasing household utility bills and costs of manufactured goods. The Gulf Coast is especially at risk from higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and more intense hurricanes due to the climate crisis, increasing the danger proposed floating LNGs have on infrastructure, workers, environments, and coastal communities.
Statement from Kelsey Crane, senior policy advocate at Earthworks:
“Once again, the Trump Administration has put profits over people, creating advantages for dirty energy companies while stripping essential environmental reviews that protect Gulf Coast residents. Recent applications for LNG export terminals have been stalled for serious concerns about safety. Gas exports are costing people more on their energy bills. Rushing these projects will only bring more harm to U.S. families.”