U.S. Investment in Australian Gas Plant Faces Court Challenge

The U.S. Export-Import Bank’s $3 billion in financing for a liquefied natural gas facility in Australia faces a legal challenge from conservation groups alleging the project threatens the Great Barrier Reef and marine life.

The bank violated the U.S. Endangered Species Act and a historic preservation law by financing the project without first consulting with wildlife agencies or reviewing the project’s impact on the environment, according to a complaint filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and two other groups in federal court in San Francisco.