Clean Hydrogen Works, a Texas-based company, has applied for a permit to dredge and fill wetlands and other waterways to build a large-scale ammonia facility —equipped with carbon capture and sequestration technology— and related infrastructure, including a marine terminal.
It also exposes the surrounding community to toxic emissions. Its own permit application detailed 142 tons of ammonia that would be emitted into the air each year. It also failed to acknowledge the other facilities in the parish that are already emitting significant health harming chemicals. This includes Methanex, a facility right across the Mississippi River from the proposed site, that already releases 700 tons of ammonia a year.
According to the Army Corps’ public notice the project would involve:
In total, the project could impact over 75 acres of our waterways and wetlands, including at least 19 acres of wetlands.
Clean Hydrogen Works is seeking authorization (Permit Application No. MVN-2023-00647-CF) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The proposed project would be located at 5323 LA Highway 405 in Sections 53,54,71,72,73, and 77, Township 10, Range 14; at Latitude 30.143889 and Longitude -91.038056; in Donaldsonville, Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Wetlands benefit all of us in Louisiana. They filter water, absorb storm surge, provide wildlife habitat, and help stabilize our shrinking coastline. Filling in wetlands—especially in an area already vulnerable to flooding and land loss—will have serious long-term environmental impacts and put coastline communities at risk.
While the company calls this the “Ascension Clean Energy plant” project, it’s anything but clean. The plant will produce “blue ammonia.” Ammonia is used in fertilizers; it’s considered “blue” when it’s made using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). But CCS is a dangerous and costly technology with a failing track record when it comes to both safety and meeting emission reduction targets. Plus, CCS only captures carbon; producing ammonia releases all kinds of other harmful pollutants into our air.
Communities in Louisiana nearby other blue ammonia facilities are already dealing with health issues as a result of living near polluting facilities.
If you live in Ascension Parish, downstream along the Mississippi, or simply care about the health of Louisiana’s wetlands and river systems, now is the time to speak up.
The Army Corps is required to consider public input before making a decision on whether to issue the permit. This is a great opportunity to raise concerns about the impact this project will have on our waterways and our communities.
Comment Deadline: May 28, 2025
Permit Number: MVN-2023-00647-CF
Be sure to include the permit number, MVN-2023-00647-CF, in your comment.
This project is part of a broader wave of proposed ammonia and hydrogen developments across Louisiana. While marketed as “clean,” these projects often carry public health and environmental concerns—especially when built on top of wetlands and near communities already overburdened by pollution and industry.
