Federal appeals court clears way for Port of Brownsville LNG project to continue
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NextDecade Corp continues its work to develop at the Port of Brownsville, after winning a legal challenge on the environmental impacts of the project.
The private investment will build a liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal. In essence, the goal is to supercool natural gas into a smaller liquid form, and export the fuel on ships to other countries. The company would receive the gas via pipeline.
It's been at least seven years since the public heard NextDecade's initial proposal to develop the Rio Grande LNG site. The legal fight in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is over. The company has federal permits in hand. Now it continues land clearance at its site at the Port.
The environmental group Save RGV and other plaintiffs — including a group called "Shrimpers and fishermen of the RGV — claimed NextDecade's LNG terminal and the existing Rio Bravo natural gas pipeline will harm the environment.
"We didn't get the mitigation we wanted, we didn't get the additional review we wanted, and the court upheld the decision that they did not act arbitrarily and that no further mitigation was needed,” Mary Angela Branch with Save RGV said. “We still contend that this 130 mile pipeline through our most sensitive areas that have been undeveloped for decades and centuries will be very impactful."
NextDecade says it's committed to reducing emissions and mitigating impacts to wetlands and wildlife.
The company is also applying for federal approval to implement a reduced carbon dioxide emission system. Plans for the site in Brownsville have been in the works since at least 2015.
A large task ahead for NextDecade is to raise the funds needed for the billions it plans to invest at its export terminal.
NextDecade expects to make a "final investment decision" in the first quarter of 2023.
The company originally pushed back its decision date from 2022.
NextDecade did not respond to a request for comment from Channel 5 News.
Save RGV says it has no current plans to appeal the ruling, but they will keep watching how things unfold.
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