The Supreme Court hands a win to oil and gas companies fighting
environmental lawsuits in Louisiana
[April 18, 2026]
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and JACK BROOK
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.
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The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Tuesday, April 7,
2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
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.
The company denies responsibility for land loss in Louisiana and
argues it’s wrong to sue over work done before state environmental
regulations were in place.
The companies appealed to the high court after jurors in Plaquemines
Parish — a sliver of land straddling the Mississippi River into the
Gulf — found that energy giant Texaco, acquired by Chevron in 2001,
had for decades violated Louisiana regulations governing coastal
resources by failing to restore wetlands impacted by dredging
canals, drilling wells and billions of gallons of wastewater dumped
into the marsh.
The case is one of dozens of lawsuits filed in 2013 alleging oil
giants, including Chevron and Exxon, violated state environmental
laws for decades. Friday’s ruling overturns a 2024 decision from the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. It will affect about a
quarter of the dozens of lawsuits filed against various oil
companies, Carmouche said.
The energy industry group Grow Louisiana said the decision should
spell the end of the litigation. “These lawsuits have cost Louisiana
billions, killed jobs and padded trial lawyers’ pockets," Executive
Director Marc Ehrhardt said. “Enough is enough. Stop these
lawsuits.”
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry called the
decision “an important win for legal clarity.”
Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case, pointing to
financial ties to ConocoPhillips. He's previously recused himself
from other cases due to his stock holdings.
___
Brook reported from New Orleans.
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