"$18 billion project could damage 470 acres of wetlands in a parish already losing land at a rapid pace."

"Less than two years after opening, a liquefied natural gas terminal near New Orleans is seeking a multi-billion-dollar expansion under a new Trump administration “emergency” permitting process that shortens environmental review and may weaken protections for surrounding wetlands and waterways.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted Plaquemines LNG, on the Mississippi River between Myrtle Grove and Port Sulphur, fast-tracked permitting under a “national energy emergency” President Donald Trump declared last year.

The agency cut the public comment period from the typical 30 days to just 10, ending July 2, and is expected to move quickly to approve the expansion, which would allow the terminal to more than double in size, growing from nearly 590 acres to about 1,220. 

That would make the facility the largest LNG export terminal in North America, according to its owner, Virginia-based Venture Global."

Tristan Baurick reports for Verite News August 12, 2026. [2]