By Rita Shirley LeBleu
Cameron Parish Police Juror Sonny McGee spoke in favor of the Cheniere Energy LNG Sabine Pass facility at the Thursday, June 11, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality hearing held at Johnson Bayou Community Center.
McGee described Sabine Pass LNG as a good neighbor that does everything above board.
No one spoke against the project.
Jack Holden, general manager and VP of Sabine Pass gave an easy to comprehend review of current operations that began in 2016, and followed with expansion details. Three trains are to be added.
“The facility consists of six trains that liquefy natural gas. A train is what we call all of the equipment necessary to turn a gaseous natural gas into Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). We also have five storage tanks and three marine berths at the facility,” he said.
He summarized what happens at the plant: Natural gas, like the gas that powers stoves, for example, is fed to the plant. Pre-treatment removes contaminants that can become ice. Gas is dried and refrigerated with equipment that Holden said resembles a large air-conditioning system. That material is put on ships.
“We normally have between one and two ships that we load per day,” he said. “We continuously monitor our environmental performance, and that helps educate us on where we can make improvements.”
Holden said Cheniere has developed a program with the University of Texas and industry partners to go above and beyond to detect greenhouse gas emissions. Train 7 will be located within the existing footprint. Trains 8 and 9 will be to the east of Lighthouse Road.
Cheniere Sabine Pass has invested about $20 billion to date, pays local taxes and employs about 500 full-time employees as well as 500 long-term contractors. The new project will mean additions to both.
LDEQ posts notices of certain application hearings, such as air permits, only on its website. A public hearing is a meeting where people make comments and state opinions concerning a permit that is under consideration by the DEQ. A moderator is present. Comments are recorded. No decisions are made at the public hearing.