Sulphur, La. — Dozens of residents urged the Sulphur City Council on Nov. 10 to reject a proposed lease and potential sale of roughly 2.7 acres adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment facility to Lake Charles Methanol 2, the council heard at a packed meeting.

The council introduced Ordinance 94‑25, described by the administration as an introductory vote to allow further review. "This proposal gives us the ability to monetize land that would otherwise sit idle while still preserving more than enough acreage for future municipal growth," said Austin Abrahams, an administration official, summarizing the city’s financial review.

Residents disputed that rationale. "We don't need this," said Danny DePetta, a Sulphur resident, arguing that the city should retain the industrially zoned land for municipal needs such as a regional sewer plant. "The self‑financing option always wins out," DePetta said, urging council members to cast three 'no' votes.

Speakers repeatedly warned about CO2 pipelines and public safety. "We've seen it there already happened. It sent 45 people to the hospital," said Brady Labbe, referencing a Denbury pipeline incident; Labbe said CO2 releases can cause mass hospitalizations. Several commenters described local cumulative environmental burdens, citing higher cancer rates, contaminated waterways and an ongoing state emergency tied to the nearby salt dome.

Residents also questioned process and existing contracts. "The warranty section in both documents seems to circumvent" statutory requirements, said Cindy Robertson, who urged the council to ensure required public notices and comparable offers were sought before disposing of property.

Lake Charles Methanol 2 representatives defended the project. "We're building a plant that will convert Louisiana natural gas to methanol," said Michael Wortley, who said construction would be about $6 billion, create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions. Wortley said buyers require captured CO2 and that the project has an agreement with ExxonMobil to pipe CO2 to an existing line north of Lake Charles.

The administration and council framed the introduction as an initial step. The chair explained that an introductory vote allows further review and public comment at a later meeting, while a final confirmation would require a subsequent council vote.

What happens next: The ordinance was introduced for further consideration, and the council set a special meeting later in the week for related items. Residents and council members said more technical review, legal review of warranties and attention to emergency‑response planning would be needed before any final action.

Provenance: The discussion and public comments on the lease and possible sale are drawn from council agenda introductions and the public‑comment record, including statements by Austin Abrahams (administration), Michael Wortley (project representative) and more than 30 citizens who spoke for or against the proposals.