The Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy re-issued a coastal use permit for the Commonwealth LNG project on 18 November, approximately one month after a judge had revoked it. The permit is required for major construction near the state's coastline.

Legal Challenge and Court Ruling

In August 2024, environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Turtle Island Restoration Network filed a lawsuit in Cameron Parish seeking to nullify the permit. They argued the state agency failed to properly examine the project's potential impacts on the coastal ecosystem, climate change, and storm severity. In October, Judge Penelope Richard sided with the groups, ruling that state agencies "failed to consider the secondary and cumulative impacts" of the project. She vacated the permit and remanded it back to the state for review.

Basis for Re-issuance

The state's revised decision states it was updated "without conceding the correctness of the trial court judgment" but that it was "in the best interest of the State to not delay this matter further." The decision added sections on climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To justify the re-issuance, the Department of Conservation and Energy relied on a previous Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) analysis, citing a passage which stated that "GHG emissions do not result in proportional local and immediate impacts; it is the combined concentration in the atmosphere that affects the global climate system." The revised decision concluded that, after independent analysis of the facility's potential impact on environmental justice communities, the project's benefits outweigh the costs.

Reactions and Next Steps

Commonwealth LNG said it was "pleased" with the new permit, thanking the agency for its analysis. The Sierra Club criticized the re-authorisation, claiming it was issued "without any notice to the plaintiffs or the public." The group stated it is reviewing the document to determine if it will take additional legal action, vowing to continue standing with Cameron Parish residents. The Commonwealth LNG project, operated by Kimmeridge, had previously regained its FERC authorisation after a similar court challenge and received its U.S. Department of Energy approval earlier in the year.