Environmental Groups Threaten Lawsuit Over U.S. Ex-Im Bank’s Financing of PNG LNG Project
Yesterday the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups notified the Export-Import Bank of the United States that the groups believe that the bank’s financing agreement for the Papua New Guinea LNG liquefaction project is in violation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), and will file suit against the Bank if it does not correct its alleged errors. Specifically, the groups assert that the Ex-Im Bank, “as an agency of the United States,” must “ensure that its actions do not jeopardize any species protected as threatened or endangered under the ESA.” The groups further contend that the Bank had a responsibility prior to authorizing financing for the project to consult with “expert wildlife agencies,” including the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service. In a press release issued yesterday, an official with the Center for Biological Diversity said that “[i]f we are going to address global warming, the United States needs to stop funding new fossil fuel projects.” E&E offers further information.