Fossil fuel and fertilizer companies are planning a massive build-out of fossil gas-based petrochemical facilities across the United States, concentrated mainly in Texas and Louisiana. Driven by highly speculative markets, such as using ammonia as a shipping fuel, or energy source, at least forty-five facilities have been proposed nationwide. If built, these projects could quadruple US ammonia production, transferring trillions of dollars in public subsidies to private polluters while escalating threat levels for nearby communities and ecosystems.
CIEL’s factsheet, Ammonia: Fossil Gas in a New Form, details the hazardous realities of this proposed US petrochemical expansion. It outlines the chemical production process of both traditional and “blue” ammonia, exposing how the industry relies on fossil gas extraction and carbon capture systems to greenwash its climate impacts. It connects this industrial expansion to severe public safety risks, including catastrophic pipeline ruptures and toxic air and water pollution, which are linked to respiratory illnesses, cancer, and premature death as well as marine ecosystems devastation. Finally, to protect public health and defend our universal right to a healthy environment, the fact sheet calls for a phase down of ammonia production in all sectors, in favor of true fossil-free, community-powered energy and local food systems.