"HOUSTON - Environmental groups on Thursday sued the United States to overturn its approval of a deepwater oil-export facility off the Texas Gulf Coast, saying it would boost oil-production and greenhouse gas pollution.
The Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), owned by energy pipeline operator Enterprise Products Partners, (EPD.N) would be the largest offshore export terminal in the United States with the capacity to load two supertankers at a time and export 2 million barrels of crude oil per day.
Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and others, said the terminal and related pipeline construction could cause oil spills and affect some species.
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency of the Department of Transportation, failed to adequately assess the oil-spill risk and harm to species in approving the terminal, the environmental groups said."
