US Court rejects Sierra Club’s appeal of Corpus Christi LNG approval

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Columbia Circuit issued a judgement denying the petition by Sierra Club for review of FERC’s approval of Cheniere’s Corpus Christi LNG export project in Texas. 

In its judgement, the Court of Appeals rejects Sierra Club’s arguments regarding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s consideration of the Corpus Christi project’s indirect and cumulative effects.

Regarding indirect effects of natural gas exports, the court stated the Commission did not have to address the indirect effects of the anticipated export of natural gas as it is under the authority of the US Department of Energy.

Judging on the cumulative effects, the Court said the analysis need only consider the effect of the current project along with any other, past, present or likely future actions in the same geographic area as the project under review, which is what the Commission did.

“Additionally, the Commission did not violate the hard look doctrine,” the Court said, noting that Sierra Club’s arguments regarding greenhouse gas emissions have no merit.

LNG World News Staff