Cheniere regularly conducts social impact analyses to understand and help us address the needs of local communities around our liquefaction facilities. In the Sabine-Neches waterway — which is adjacent to our Sabine Pass liquefaction facility — public boat launch ramps in Port Arthur and Sabine Pass serve as the primary recreation and fishing access points to the Gulf of Mexico. Based on historical use data, each of the boat ramps has typically accommodated up to 150 boats a day in the spring, summer and fall fishing seasons, illustrating their importance to the local communities. Unfortunately, damage from Hurricanes Rita and Harvey, as well as increased ship traffic and natural erosion, had rendered the ramps unsafe for recreational boaters and anglers.
In 2022, we made a donation to help build and repair the decades-old ramps in collaboration with the city of Port Arthur, Jefferson County and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Construction on the project — which included rebuilding bulkheads, upgrading ramps to accommodate deeper-hulled boats, adding fish-cleaning tables and installing protective devices offshore to prevent commercial vehicles from damaging the ramps — was completed in spring 2023.
“These new facilities will be a huge improvement for boaters and anglers who want to enjoy the water and fisheries resources of Sabine Lake and the Gulf of Mexico,” said Dr. Carey Gelpi, Ecosystem Leader for the Sabine Lake Field Station. “We are grateful that Cheniere and local elected officials understand and appreciate the value of these boat ramps to the local community and all those who visit.”
Supporting the project illustrates our commitment to corporate responsibility and helps manage potential social risks related to the wear and tear that shipping associated with our operations can have on local waterways.
“We are proud to support the reconstruction of two pivotal boat ramps in Jefferson County,” said Maas Hinz, Senior Vice President, Operations at Cheniere. “These boat ramps ensure community members have safe access to our waterways and support our local marine emergency services.”