BATON ROUGE, LA – Governor Jeff Landry announced a statewide moratorium on new carbon capture projects this week, citing the need to “ensure public safety” before allowing companies to store carbon underground. The decision came as the administration simultaneously approved permits for nineteen new chemical facilities expected to release roughly the same carbon “back into the comforting air we all share.”
Landry defended the move as “a pause for reflection,” explaining that Louisiana needed time to determine whether trapping emissions underground might “somehow interfere with future campaign contributions.” Critics noted that the state’s plan to “study the environmental impact of irony” was already years behind schedule.
Business leaders praised the moratorium, saying it would “keep the economy strong and the air flavorful,” while the Department of Environmental Quality confirmed it will use the downtime to explore whether rebranding pollution as “freedom fog” could qualify for federal tourism grants.
When asked about a timeline for restarting carbon capture efforts, Landry said the state would move forward “once it’s proven that burying pollution is safer than breathing it.” Meanwhile, environmental advocates suggested Louisiana’s true long-term carbon strategy may simply involve encouraging residents to “inhale less.”
