Louisiana and two of the state’s coastal parishes are urging the Supreme Court to help them hold the fossil fuel industry financially accountable for destruction of the state’s coastline.
In a brief filed Thursday with the high court, Louisiana, alongside Plaquemines and Cameron parishes, argued that Chevron U.S.A. and other companies have no grounds to move lawsuits against them to federal court because local communities have raised claims against them under a state coastal protection law.
The Supreme Court has scheduled arguments in the case, Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, for Jan. 12.
Chevron has asked the justices to shift several dozen lawsuits against the industry from state court to the federal bench, where oil companies believe they are more likely to prevail. Industry lawyers have made the case that the lawsuits should be moved because their clients participated in oil production at the behest of the federal government to bolster aviation fuel stores during World War II.
