Venture Global Sued Over Alleged Environmental Damage to Louisiana Fishing Grounds
A group of commercial fishers and seafood processors in southwest Louisiana are suing Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas company, over alleged environmental damage to their fishing grounds. The lawsuit claims that dredging operations for a new terminal resulted in a sediment spill that killed millions of oysters and reduced catches of finfish, crabs, and shrimp.
The plaintiffs estimate they have lost over $450,000 in immediate losses, with one fisherman stating 'best case scenario, they pay you for every year that they mess up and then you get to go back fishing.'
Venture Global acknowledged the leak into the estuary but initially denied that sediment reached the lake. However, the company eventually admitted that the spill was significant, sending between 9,000 and 18,000 cubic yards of sediment into a channel and marsh bordering Calcasieu Lake.