Key Highlights
- Last year, a jury in coastal Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, ordered Chevron to pay more than $740 million for wetlands damage linked to operations by its former subsidiary Texaco in the mid-20th century. While the Supreme Court case does not seek to overturn the fine and was filed before the Louisiana ruling, a decision by the high court could carry multibillion-dollar implications, several legal experts said.
- TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN A Louisiana Bayou scene, left, Bill Barr, center, Chevron sign, right.
- (; ; ) As Chevron argues the suits it is facing in certain Gulf Coast communities — where critics claim some local and state officials are in cahoots against them and aligned with friendly attorneys for the municipalities – many damage claims stem from World War II-era fuel production carried out under federal contract.
- The companies say that the link to the federal government, along with alleged local bias, means future cases must be heard at the federal level.
- Plaquemines Parish argued the claims involve environmental harm that is beyond the control of Washington – meaning that the high court’s decision could reshape where massive suits against Big Oil can be heard; as many companies also seek to ramp up production in line with President Donald Trump’s "energy dominance agenda.""There is thus no denying that these petitioners are being sued in state court for production activities undertaken to fulfill their federal refining contracts," a brief filed by Chevron and ExxonMobil said, in part.
