A sizable expansion of a liquefied gas export terminal in southwest Louisiana could imperil a federally protected marsh bird, according to a new environmental analysis.
In a draft environmental impact statement posted Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Cheniere’s Sabine Pass Stage 5 expansion project is “likely to adversely affect” the eastern black rail — a sparrow-sized bird designated as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The rail is no stranger to environmental assessments for LNG export projects along the Gulf.
Cheniere is proposing to enlarge its Sabine Pass export facility by adding three liquefaction units, or “trains,” the company told FERC in an amended application in June 2025. The three trains combined would have a peak production capacity of up to approximately 20 million metric tons of LNG annually, according to a SEC filing.
The project from Houston-based Cheniere is one of several LNG export projects proposed to FERC, which authorizes the siting and construction of LNG import and export facilities. Other proposed gas export projects are also concentrated in Louisiana, as well as Texas.
