{"id":2533902,"date":"2026-01-12T17:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T22:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-court-weighs-fight-to-make-oil-companies-pay-for-coastal-damages\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T17:40:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T22:40:51","slug":"high-court-weighs-fight-to-make-oil-companies-pay-for-coastal-damages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-court-weighs-fight-to-make-oil-companies-pay-for-coastal-damages\/","title":{"rendered":"High court weighs fight to make oil companies pay for coastal damages"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhigh-court-weighs-fight-to-make-oil-companies-pay-for-coastal-damages%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2533902&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Chevron USA v.Plaquemines Parish, a dispute over whether a Louisiana parish&#8217;s lawsuit accusing oil companies of causing coastal damage should be moved from state to federal court. A state jury previously ordered Chevron to pay $745 million,but the oil companies argue the case belongs in federal court under a federal-officer\/removal theory as some wartime oil production was done at the government&#8217;s direction. Paul Clement, arguing for the companies, told justices federal adjudication would avoid perceived local prejudice for nationally vital issues; Justice Kavanaugh pressed him on whether that standard is met.Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Agui\u00f1aga said the parish wants state courts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/four-ways-democrats-can-fight-gop-officials-warning-biden-might-not-make-it-on-the-ballot-in-november\/\" title=\"Four strategies Democrats can employ to combat GOP officials&#039; concerns about Biden&#039;s candidacy in the upcoming November election\">interpret state law<\/a> and handle the sweeping local problem. Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself for a financial conflict with ConocoPhillips, leaving eight justices and creating the possibility of a 4-4 tie that would leave the lower-court outcome intact. The Court is expected to issue a decision by the end of June, and the case could shape future attempts to hold oil producers liable for coastal harm.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Supreme Court weighs Louisiana residents&rsquo; fight to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gas-prices-break-record-but-diesel-prices-will-greatly-affect-all-americans-and-the-world\/\" title=\"Gas Prices Break Record, but Diesel Prices Will Greatly Affect All Americans \u2013 And the World\">make oil companies pay<\/a> for coastal damages<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2468620\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a> heard arguments Monday on the fate of a lawsuit filed by a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/louisiana\/\">Louisiana<\/a> parish against multiple oil producers over damage to the state&rsquo;s coastline, marking the high court&rsquo;s first oral arguments of 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The matter before the justices is over whether to move the case to federal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/courts\/\">court<\/a>, but the ruling in <em>Chevron USA v. Plaquemines Parish<\/em> will have wider ramifications for efforts to sue <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oil\/\">oil producers<\/a> over damage to state coastlines. In state court, a jury ordered Chevron to pay a $745 million judgment to the Louisiana residents for damage related to oil production. If the case is allowed to move to federal court, that judgment could be tossed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4414082\/bessent-treasury-tariff-refunds-supreme-court\/\">Bessent says Treasury can&nbsp;cover tariff refunds if Supreme Court rules against Trump&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4411699\/gender-transitions-schools-poised-next-front-transgender-legal-war\/\">Gender transitions at schools poised to be next front in transgender legal war<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4413502\/court-tosses-convictions-muslim-man-encouraged-others-join-terrorist-group\/\">Court throws out convictions of Muslim man who encouraged others to join terrorist group<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Lawyers for Chevron and other oil companies sued by the parish are pushing for the lawsuit to move to federal court. They claim that because the oil companies were contracted to produce oil for the government from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gulf-of-mexico\/\">Gulf of America<\/a> during World War II, there is &ldquo;a close and direct connection between the challenged oil production and refining activities taken under federal direction.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Paul Clement, the lawyer arguing for the oil companies at Monday&rsquo;s arguments, faced sharp questions from the justices over whether the companies have met the standard to move the case to federal court. Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brett-kavanaugh\/\">Brett Kavanaugh<\/a> questioned Clement on the companies&rsquo; reasoning, specifically regarding the strength of their arguments that the state court system wasn&rsquo;t sufficiently fair to them.<\/p>\n<p>Clement responded by noting that the coastline case involves &ldquo;issues that are nationally important but locally unpopular,&rdquo; arguing that &ldquo;those are the times when it&rsquo;s most important to be in federal court.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If they can prove their case in federal court, then everybody&rsquo;s going to accept the outcome, and they&rsquo;re not going to view it as something that&rsquo;s a product of local prejudice,&rdquo; Clement said of the oil companies.<\/p>\n<p>Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Agui&ntilde;aga, arguing for the parish, also faced questions over why the venue for the legal dispute matters. Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/clarence-thomas\/\">Clarence Thomas<\/a> asked Agui&ntilde;aga what the practical difference between resolving the lawsuit in state court versus federal court would be.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have the same reasons for wanting to be in state court that anybody who sues under state law wants to be in state court. We want the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >actual experts interpreting state law<\/a>, especially when we get to the Louisiana Supreme Court, on an important statute like this, and especially with respect to a problem that is so sweeping in scope,&rdquo; Agui&ntilde;aga told the high court.<\/p>\n<p>Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/samuel-alito\/\">Samuel Alito<\/a> announced on Thursday that he would <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/24\/24-813\/391167\/20260108162001341_Letter%20from%20Clerk%20in%20No.%2024-813.pdf\">recuse himself from the case<\/a>, meaning that it will be decided by eight justices and could end in a 4-4 deadlock.<\/p>\n<p>Alito said he recused himself &ldquo;because of a financial interest in ConocoPhillips, the parent corporation for Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company,&rdquo; which remained a party at the district court level despite having previously said that it had withdrawn from the case at the Supreme Court. In the event of a deadlock, the lower court&rsquo;s ruling stands.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4408609\/pair-supreme-court-cases-put-title-ix-future-in-balance\/\">A PAIR OF SUPREME COURT CASES PUT THE FUTURE OF TITLE IX IN THE BALANCE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The high court is expected to release its ruling in the case by the end of June.<\/p>\n<p>Oral arguments at the Supreme Court continue on Tuesday, when all nine justices will be on the bench to hear arguments in a pair of cases challenging the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4408609\/pair-supreme-court-cases-put-title-ix-future-in-balance\/\">legality of state laws that limit women&rsquo;s sports<\/a> to biological females.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court considers Louisiana oil lawsuit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2533903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26009643327741.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[70738,70737,38300,32610,45240],"class_list":["post-2533902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-climate-litigation","tag-coastal-erosion","tag-environmental-law","tag-high-court","tag-oil-industry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26009643327741.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2533902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2533902"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2533902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2533910,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2533902\/revisions\/2533910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2533903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2533902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2533902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2533902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}