​Today, we acknowledge an important moment for Southwest Louisiana as plans for a major energy project in Lake Charles have been scrapped. This decision represents a meaningful pause in the relentless push for fossil fuel expansion in a region that has already born far more than its share of industrial pollution.

In a significant development for the Gulf Coast, Energy Transfer LP has announced the suspension of its planned Lake Charles liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, a project that would have added to the cumulative impact of pollution in our community. The company cited shifting priorities, rising costs, and strategic focus on other infrastructure, as reasons for stepping back from the Lake Charles LNG development but as frontline fighters we know that the ultimate decision was made due to constant pressure on the developers from community leaders.

For years, frontline communities in and around Lake Charles have raised concerns about the cumulative health, environmental, and climate impacts of large-scale LNG and petrochemical projects. Residents have consistently spoken out about air quality, cancer risks, loss of wetlands, and the strain placed on communities still recovering from hurricanes, flooding, and economic instability.

This decision shows what happens when communities refuse to stay silent. Southwest Louisiana is not a sacrifice zone. Every time a project like this is delayed, halted, or abandoned, it gives our people breathing room, and it proves that unchecked fossil fuel expansion is neither inevitable nor acceptable.

While this announcement does not mean the fight is over, it does underscore a growing reality that fossil fuel projects are increasingly risky, unpopular, and out of step with what communities and the climate can withstand.

We remain committed to standing with our neighbors, continuing to oppose harmful industrial development, and advocating for investments that prioritize health, resilience, and a just transition for Southwest Louisiana.

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