In recent years, the United States has invested heavily in expanding its liquified natural gas (LNG) operations, aiming to produce and export more of the fuel. The U.S. has been extremely successful in expanding its LNG operations, has established several new trade partners, and recently became the first country to export 10 million metric tons (mmt) of LNG in a single month.
In the face of this success, a recent report revealed that every fully operational LNG terminal in the U.S. has violated federal pollution limits in recent years, which is casting a shadow over the industry’s expansion.
Rapid U.S. LNG Expansion
Under the Biden administration, the United States began to significantly expand its LNG production and export capacity. This supported the aim of strengthening the country’s energy security, developing new trade links, and helping to fill a gap during the gas shortages felt due to sanctions on Russian energy after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Following this rapid development, Biden placed a pause on LNG exports, which was lifted by President Trump on his first day in office.
For several years, natural gas has been hailed as a transition fuel by many countries as they attempt to wean themselves off more polluting oil and coal and develop their alternative energy capacity. While the rapid sectoral expansion is viewed as positive by many, environmentalists worldwide have critiqued the U.S. policy of expansion during a time in which the International Energy Agency condemns the development of any new fossil fuel projects.
In October, the world’s biggest LNG exporter became the first country in the world to export 10 mmt of LNG, according to preliminary data from financial firm LSEG. The U.S. exported an estimated 10.1 mmt of the fuel in October, compared to 9.1 mmt in September, bringing the number of record-setting months up to four in 2025. Higher export quantities were driven by operations at Venture Global’s Plaquemines, Louisiana export plant and Chenier’s Corpus Christi Stage 3 project in Texas.
Europe remained the biggest importer of U.S. LNG, with 6.9 mmt or around 69% of total exports in October, as the region worked to stockpile fuel for the winter. Meanwhile, U.S. LNG exports to Asia rose to 1.96 mmt, compared to 1.63 mmt in September. U.S. LNG exports to Latin America in October totalled around 0.57 mmt, while a small quantity went to Egypt and Senegal.
The Violation of Federal Pollution Limits
A recent report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) entitled Terminal Trouble: Pollution Violations at America’s LNG Export Terminals has cast a shadow over the recent successes experienced by the U.S. LNG industry. The EIP analysis of public records revealed that the industry has a poor track record of complying with air and water pollution control permits.
The report demonstrates how all seven of the LNG export terminals that were fully operational at the end of 2024 violated the Clean Air Act over the last half a decade. It also states that five of the seven LNG terminals exceeded their water pollution control permits over this period, dumping illegal amounts of suspended solids, bacteria, zinc, copper, oil and grease, among other pollutants into waterways, according to public records.
The report states, “The LNG industry portrays itself as environmentally friendly, but companies do not consistently comply with air and water pollution control laws that LNG terminals must follow.” The Sabine Pass and Calcasieu Pass terminals, both in Cameron, Louisiana, were found to be the worst perpetrators.
The review responded to President Trump’s ardent support for fossil fuels, particularly LNG. Trump has called on energy companies to boost their LNG production in recent months, as well as directed agencies to fast-track certain approvals for new export terminals, and threatened to put high tariffs on countries that do not buy American LNG.
In the first six months of the year, LNG companies announced plans to develop two new LNG export terminals and expand three others along the Gulf Coast. That adds to the four new LNG terminals and an expansion currently being developed, and 23 others that were approved before Trump took office. If all 33 projects in the pipeline are developed, it could lead U.S. LNG exports to triple over the next 10 years.
Jen Duggan, Executive Director of the EIP, stated, “Given the LNG industry’s poor compliance record, state and federal agencies should be slowing down and more carefully scrutinizing new permit applications instead of speeding up permit reviews.” Duggan added, “There is no ‘energy emergency,’ and fast-tracking approvals for LNG terminals puts the health of local communities, ecosystems, and the climate at risk.”
Several of the LNG industry’s worst perpetrators are currently seeking authorization for major expansions in the coming years. The EIP aims to use its findings to put pressure on key industry players to clean up operations rather than seek approval for further expansion. Meanwhile, climate scientists and environmentalists worldwide are putting increasing pressure on the U.S. to continue developing its clean energy capacity instead of investing in new LNG projects.
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