According to an article on nola.com, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East’s groundbreaking lawsuit against a multitude of oil, gas and pipeline companies is ambitious; however, because the suit is so unique, the outcome is far from certain.
“This is such an unprecedented lawsuit,” said Blaine LeCesne, a tort law professor at Loyola University. “There has never been a claim of this magnitude affecting such enormous amounts of land that has tested these statutes like this will.’’
Many attorneys compare the suit to tobacco litigation.
“The oil companies, they have seen it coming for a long time and they know they are responsible for this, but they have avoided for the most part being found liable for any of this,” said Bill Goodell, a former environmental attorney in the state Attorney General’s Office.
“This lawsuit will last a long time and you can bet the oil companies will fight it tooth and nail,” Goodell said. “Similar to cigarettes, where we knew they caused health problems since the ‘50s or ‘60s, it took a while for the right suit to come forward.”
“The outcome of the case will not be dependent solely on whether they contributed to the wetlands loss, as responsibility is not the same thing as liability,” said Mark Davis, the director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy.
“I really think this the ultimate goal of the levee authority here: to bring the oil companies to the bargaining table,” LeCesne said. “It’s a way of bringing attention and shedding some light on the problem, and it may very well lead to some joint resolution to assist in future coastal restoration efforts.”
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Companies and landowners in Louisiana sometimes violate federal, state and local environmental laws which regulate the discharge of toxic wastes and other pollutants, deciding that it’s cheaper to pollute than to prevent toxic and chemical exposure to innocent people. Our attorneys serve New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner and areas throughout Louisiana, and have spent years litigating against negligent parties.
[Did You Know: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 188 separate air pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer and other serious health effects.]