Legal battle between oil companies and Louisiana parishes far from over

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The big win in court for Plaquemines Parish against Chevron may not be a win for the coast for a while.

The jury found Chevron liable for causing coastal damage. The oil giant now must dole out $745 million.

WGNO legal analyst Cliff Cardone says the verdict does not come as a surprise.

“This is a home-cooked jury, so you’d have to think that the verdict was going to be in favor of the plaintiff because it was all local people on that jury,” said Cardone. “Whether they fairly interpreted the evidence or not is going to be, I guess, answered in a court of appeal.”

Cardone explains because Chevron has options to delay the execution of the judgment or correct it, it could take years before Plaquemines Parish is paid.

Mike Moncla, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, says the verdict was expected but worries about its implications on the industry.

“It just throws something out there against the industry that, you know, we’re trying to make Louisiana a place that people want to come back and do business in,” said Moncla. “Lawsuits like this against industry is just not a good message to send out.”

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is also weighing in. In a statement, they wrote:

“While we cannot comment on the merits of the case or the prospects of an appeal, this verdict could be extremely important to the future of south Louisiana. It could help our state implement more of the large-scale restoration projects in our Coastal Master Plan, saving more land and benefiting not just wildlife and individuals but also industry.”

This lawsuit is one of dozens of other similar lawsuits that are still pending.

“So, it’s time to negotiate now, or circle the wagons and fight all the way through the courts,” said Cardone.

If the case is settled once and for all, state law requires that all proceeds go toward restoring the coast once the attorney fees are paid.

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