The U.S. Department of Energy will not complete its review of two liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Southwest Louisiana until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finishes additional air quality analyses.

The Energy Department said in a memo Monday that the delay applies to the CP2 LNG and Commonwealth LNG terminals, both in Cameron Parish. FERC, an independent agency within the Energy Department, on Nov. 27 suspended its prior approval of CP2 LNG and an associated pipeline and set schedules for additional air quality analyses for both CP2 and Commonwealth.

FERC’s notices came in response to a July decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that require it to further analyze how local air quality would be affected by pollution from the terminals. For Commonwealth LNG, FERC will study the effects of nitrogen dioxide emissions. For CP2 LNG, FERC will analyze the effects of emissions of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. Both types of pollution are tied to heart and lung diseases.

While FERC has the power to approve LNG terminals, the Department of Energy authorizes whether a facility can export LNG. FERC expects to complete both air quality analyses in February 2025.