For the predominantly Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income communities living steps and breaths away from LNG terminals, the health consequences are undeniable. Forced to inhale toxic air, residents suffer from burning and irritated airways, as well as more serious illnesses like cancer, kidney and heart disease, and asthma. 

“Making the LNG pause permanent is crucial for me and my community because it directly ties into our right to a healthy environment and a safe future for our children,” says Roishetta Ozane. “As a frontline environmental justice advocate, I see firsthand how our community has been disproportionately affected by pollution and industrial activities. My own children suffer from health issues due to this environmental racism, and I won’t allow it to continue.”

The current impact of LNG is devastating to nearby communities, and its harms would only multiply with further build-out. New analysis from the Sierra Club and Greenpeace USA shows that LNG pollution currently causes an unacceptable 60 premature deaths and $957 million in total health costs per year. These numbers would jump to 149 premature deaths and $2.3 billion in health costs in a full build-out scenario. 

But LNG terminals spew air pollution that poisons far more than just nearby communities. That’s why medical professionals and public health experts like  

Dr. Laalitha Surapaneni are also among the many ringing the alarm bells on LNG:

“With the massive proposed buildout in the Gulf South, the communities nearby will face compounded health impacts. These health impacts are borne disproportionately by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income communities,” Dr. Surapaneni says. “But LNG is not just a Gulf South issue. More LNG exports mean more fracking for ‘natural gas’ (also known as methane [gas]) and health impacts across the country all along the supply chain. This is why health organizations representing more than 67,000 health professionals recognize that LNG is a health hazard and urge the Department of Energy to make this pause permanent—to protect our health and the planet’s.”

LNG is often cloaked in patriotic rhetoric. But there’s nothing American about hitting families with high, volatile monthly energy bills, driven by global markets, foreign leaders, and fossil fuel CEO whims. 

For example, the U.S. is meeting its energy commitments to allies overseas—and the European Union’s demand for LNG is on the long-term decline as it embraces renewable energy. Still, Big Polluters have tried to justify the LNG industry’s ruthless expansion by claiming that the U.S. needs it to meet Europe’s energy demands, particularly in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

For Dr. Svitlana Romanko, a Ukrainian activist, and others steeped in international economics, transitioning away from LNG means breaking free from international politics influencing local impacts: 

“Making the LNG pause permanent is essential for breaking the world’s dangerous addiction to fossil fuels, which not only sustains petro-dictatorships but also fuels global conflict. This has been tragically evident in the war on Ukraine, where Russia exploits global LNG dependency to fund the relentless bombing of Ukrainian cities. LNG exports only deepen reliance on costly and subsidized dirty energy, prolonging climate damage, war, and economic instability. At Razom We Stand, we believe the path to true energy security lies in accelerating the transition to clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar, cutting off Big Oil’s power, and freeing the world from the grip of petro-dictators.”

Half a Million People Have Spoken Up to End LNG Expansion 

The evidence is clear, and the numbers don’t lie. Overwhelmingly, people want to see DOE and U.S. leadership do what’s in the best interest of the American public—not profit-driven oil and gas CEOs or foreign dictators. Behind these four voices, there are hundreds of thousands more saying no to more LNG export terminals poisoning our children, spoiling our coastlines, and making our energy costs more volatile. Now, it’s on DOE to listen.