A US federal appeals court has upheld Department of Energy (DOE) decisions to approve liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from three terminals, denying challenges from environmental group the Sierra Club, according to the Associated Press.
The Sierra Club’s petition had called for approvals of export facilities at Cove Point (Maryland), Sabine Pass (Louisiana) and Corpus Christi (Texas) to be overturned.
It had claimed that local impacts from the exports – such as air and water pollution – plus the contribution to global warming should have been considered before approval was granted.
But the decision rendered by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found that the DOE had met its obligations under the National Environmental Act and other laws.