In southwest Louisiana, James Hiatt still considers the Calcasieu River to be sacred fishing grounds. As increasing numbers of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminals rise up along the river, locals fear that the contamination could worsen rapidly. The national conservation group agreed, naming the Calcasieu as the ninth most endangered river in the country for 2025 because of its historic and continuing pollution. In Louisiana, questions about pollution from LNG terminals are compounded by concerns of worker safety in the petrochemical industry. Lake Charles itself exists because of the Calcasieu River, Hiatt emphasized.