The Trump administration is taking public comment on a planned offshore liquefied natural gas export project that would ship out 8.4 million metric tons of gas annually from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Department of Transportation released a draft environmental analysis Friday for ST LNG’s deepwater port project, proposed for approximately 10 miles off the coast of Matagorda, Texas — finding the undertaking isn’t likely to harm several threatened or endangered species.
ST LNG is one of the first major energy projects to undergo an environmental review at the Maritime Administration since EPA in February repealed the 2009 finding that served as the agency’s foundational authority to regulate greenhouse gases.
While the DOT review tallies how much carbon dioxide equivalent the project is expected to emit during its offshore construction and operation, it included that information in a section on air quality and noise. DOT said ST LNG will be required to comply with Clean Air Act requirements that “are applicable at the time of permit issuance,” noting that EPA finalized its rescission of the endangerment finding in February.
