Venture Global is a gas company on track to become a global leader in the production and distribution of liquefied natural gas (LNG). But some are concerned about Venture Global’s ability to safely keep with the trajectory.

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade – an organization that advocates for the transition away from fossil fuels and accountability in the petrochemical industry – hosted an online media briefing last week to speak out against Venture Global’s expansions and current operations.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management greenlit Venture Global CP2, an export-only LNG terminal that is proposed in Cameron Parish, authorizing it to export LNG. The facility would expand the existing Calcasieu Pass terminal, which began commercial operations in April.

CP2 will be the second LNG facility in Cameron Parish. The projects secured bank loan commitments totalling $3 billion for the project’s progression, Venture Global said in a release on Friday. A third facility named CP3 is proposed further north up the Calcasieu River, closer to Lake Charles. Venture Global also has two planned facilities near New Orleans.

Environmental groups like the Louisiana Bucket Brigade are outspoken against Venture Global’s continued expansion, which is dominating Louisiana’s coast. In addition to base environmental concerns, Venture Global’s opponents have expressed concerns about the local fishing industry, property values and public health and safety.

In January 2022, Calcasieu Pass discharged about 180,000 pounds of natural gas into the water. Anne Rolfes, Executive Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, said this moment was “foreshadowing” of a series of permit violations.

“They had an accident even before they officially began operations, and they’ve had problems and upsets and flaring constantly ever since.”

One of the Bucket Brigade’s greatest worry about Venture Global’s operations pertain to the ongoing Clean Air Act violations. One continued violation is the failure to report flaring incidents with “seven-day letters,” she said. These letters are submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality following facility incidents to provide transparency, and prompt investigations and enforcement.

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Habitat Recovery Project – a conservation movement currently working to protect the Calcasieu River from industrial damage – submitted a notice of intent to sue Venture Global for “continued violations of the Clean Air Act” at Calcasieu Pass. In a March release, the Bucket Brigade said the Calcasieu Pass has reported over 4500 hours of operations that violated permits, which led to the unlawful release of “at least 20,000 pounds of harmful air pollutants like VOx, CO, VOCs, and Particulate Matter. The release also cited over 500 unreported flaring incidents since 2022.

“A company like this, that has such ambitions, if it’s going to grow to this level, then it ought to be expertly run,” Rolfes said during the press briefing. “If you’re going to be a company that’s going to come in and overwhelm this landscape, you better be a rock-solid company. Venture Global is not.”

Venture Global told the American Press in an email statement on Tuesday that the organization’s statements are not representative of Venture Global’s relationship with Cameron Parish and its residents.

“These biased groups consistently misrepresent the people of Cameron Parish and Plaquemines Parish, who overwhelmingly support LNG exports and the enormous economic benefit they provide. Venture Global will continue to work hand-in-hand with Parish leaders and members of the local communities in which we operate to improve lives and support the safety, growth, and prosperity of Louisiana.”

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade will join several industry companies and stakeholders seeking legal action against Venture Global. A class action lawsuit has been filed against Venture Global for federal securities law violations on behalf of investors.

Additionally, BP, Shell and Italy-based electric company Edison SpA, LLC. have requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) intervene with Venture Global’s failure to deliver contracted LNG since beginning operations. FERC denied these requests.