Oil Giants vs. Louisiana: Supreme Court to Decide Battle Over Vanishing Coast

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a major case that could decide who pays for Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline. Several local governments are suing major oil and gas companies. The lawsuits claim that industry activities, like digging canals for pipelines, have destroyed wetlands. This damage, the lawsuits argue, removes a critical natural barrier against hurricanes and storms. The companies do not want the cases heard in Louisiana state courts. They are asking the Supreme Court to move the lawsuits to federal courts, which they believe will be more favorable to them. The legal question is technical: whether state or federal courts have jurisdiction. But the outcome is crucial. It will determine where the communities’ claims for billions of dollars in restoration costs are ultimately decided.