From Newsgroup: talk.politics.misc

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court handed a win Friday to oil and gas companies fighting lawsuits over coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana.

The unanimous procedural decision gives the companies a new day in federal court after a state jury ordered Chevron to pay upward of $740 million to clean up damage to the state’s coastline, one of multiple similar
lawsuits.

Backed by the Trump administration, the companies said the work in
Louisiana started as an effort to quickly increase the supply of aviation gasoline for the U.S. government during World War II and so should be
heard in federal court.

The justices agreed. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the 8-0 court,
noted Congress has long allowed lawsuits against the government and its contractors to be heard in federal court. This suit, he wrote, is clearly related to Chevron’s wartime efforts to bolster the U.S. aviation fuel
supply. Federal courts are seen as a friendlier venue for the companies.

Louisiana’s coastal parishes have lost more than 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) of land over the past century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which has also identified oil and gas infrastructure as
a significant cause. The state could lose an additional 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers) in the coming decades, its coastal protection
agency has warned.

The litigation over the role of oil and gas companies has crossed typical political lines in Louisiana. The hefty jury award came from a community
in one of the most conservative, pro-energy parts of the state, said Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a longtime oil and gas industry supporter,
also backed the lawsuits when he was attorney general. Local Louisiana
leaders remain determined to keep the litigation alive despite the
setback, said attorney John Carmouche.

“Simply changing where the case will be heard, as has happened, will not
deter our efforts to have Big Oil held accountable for the damages they
caused and the enormous restoration they owe the people of Louisiana,” Carmouche said.

Anne Rolfes, the director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade environmental
group, said the decision is a “bump in the road” in efforts to hold the industry accountable for pipelines and canals carving up the natural
coastline that have left residents more vulnerable to hurricanes.

Chevron, on the other hand, applauded the Supreme Court’s decision, saying
the claims are related to work that the companies did under federal supervision. “Chevron looks forward to litigating these cases in federal court, where they belong,” the company said in a statement.

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-environmental-oil-gas-companies- louisiana-8928e73be9545de69089b0e578b1b8d2

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