Louisiana

Supreme Court to hear appeal from Chevron in landmark Louisiana coastal damage lawsuits

Published

4 months ago

June 16, 2025

Supreme Court to hear appeal from Chevron in landmark Louisiana coastal damage lawsuits

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear an appeal from Chevron, Exxon and other oil and gas companies that lawsuits seeking compensation for coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana should be heard in federal court.

The companies are appealing a 2024 decision by a federal appeals court that kept the lawsuits in state courts, allowing them to move to trial after more than a decade in limbo.

A southeast Louisiana jury then ordered Chevron to pay upwards of $740 million to clean up damage to the state’s coastline. The verdict reached in April was the first of dozens of lawsuits filed in 2013 against leading oil and gas companies in Louisiana alleging they violated state environmental laws for decades.

While plaintiffs’ attorneys say the appeal encompasses at least 10 cases, Chevron disagrees and says the court’s ruling could have broader implications for additional lawsuits.

Chevron argues that because it and other companies began oil production and refining during World War II as a federal contractor, these cases should be heard in federal court, perceived to be friendlier to businesses.

But the plaintiffs’ attorneys — representing the Plaquemines and Jefferson Parish governments — say the appeal is the companies’ latest stall tactic to avoid accountability. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit already rejected similar arguments from Chevron.

“It’s more delay, they’re going to fight till the end and we’re going to continue to fight as well,” said John Carmouche, a trial attorney in the Chevron case who is behind the other lawsuits. He noted that the companies’ appeal “doesn’t address the merits of the case.”

Chevron’s counsel, Paul Clement said in a statement that the company was “pleased” with the Supreme Court’s decision. Exxon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The court’s decision to hear the appeal offers the chance for “fair and consistent application of the law” and will “help preserve legal stability for the industry that fuels America’s economy,” said Tommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association, in an emailed statement.

In April, 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.

“No company is big enough to ignore the law, no company is big enough to walk away scot-free,” Carmouche told jurors during closing arguments.

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 another 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers) in the coming decades, its coastal protection agency has warned.

Chevron’s attorneys had argued that land loss in Louisiana was caused by other factors and that the company should not be held liable for its actions prior to the enactment of a 1980 environmental law requiring companies to obtain permits and restore land they had used.

The fact that the lawsuits had been delayed for so long due to questions of jurisdiction was “bordering on absurd,” the late-federal judge Martin Leach-Cross Feldman remarked in 2022 during oral arguments in one of the lawsuits, according to court filings. He added: “Frankly, I think it’s kind of shameful.”

Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a longtime oil and gas industry supporter, nevertheless made the state a party to the lawsuits during his tenure as attorney general.

“Virtually every federal court has rejected Chevron’s attempt to avoid liability for knowingly and intentionally violating state law,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. “I’ll fight Chevron in state or federal court—either way, they will not win.”

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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This story has been corrected to show that Chevron’s counsel was “pleased” with the decision by the Supreme Court, not the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 25, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 25, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-12-22-39-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

9-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

3-5-6-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

5-9-5-0-5

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

06-10-16-22-31

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

16-18-26-34-37-41

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Louisiana

Louisiana lands a rare earth milestone

Published

2 days ago

October 24, 2025

Press Room

iStock

The nation’s first U.S. heavy rare earth separation facility is coming to Louisiana.

Louisiana Economic Development officials this morning announced a $277 million investment by Aclara Resources Inc. to build the facility at the Port of Vinton in Calcasieu Parish.

LED characterizes the deal as one that will “establish Louisiana as a leader in sustainable rare earth production and strengthen the nation’s advanced technology supply chain.” With the new facility comes an anticipated 140 new direct new jobs.

LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the investment “underscores the importance of development-ready sites and strong local partnerships that give global companies the confidence to choose Louisiana,” also noting that it reinforces the central role Louisiana plays in energy and defense security.

Bloomberg reports that Aclara, in which the Hochschild Group owns a majority stake, has a $1 billion-plus plan to mine rare earths in Latin America and develop processing facilities.

The Louisiana project comes as President Donald Trump is focused on enhancing critical mineral-supply chains, currently dominated by China. The media outlet reported this morning that the Louisiana plant’s capacity for minerals dysprosium and terbium would represent about 14% of China’s official output.

The new facility will use Aclara’s proprietary sustainable extraction technology to produce the heavy rare earth elements essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones and robotics, which rely on advanced permanent magnets. By processing material from Aclara’s mineral deposits in Brazil and Chile, the Louisiana operation is expected to create a “reliable and sustainable” U.S. supply of these materials, LED says.

Last month, Aclara secured funding from the U.S. government for a Brazilian mining project.

In a statement, Gov. Jeff Landry said that in choosing Louisiana for its first U.S. facility, “Aclara is recognizing what we already know: Our state is leading the next generation of energy and technology innovation.”

Aclara Resources CEO Ramón Barúa noted in the announcement that Louisiana’s access to key reagents made the location preferable, ensuring operational reliability and lower transportation costs.

“The state’s world-class chemical industry and highly skilled workforce made the decision even more compelling,” Barúa added. “Simply put, Louisiana has everything we were looking for.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2027. The facility will be built in phases, beginning with the rare earth separation plant, followed by potential future expansions to support downstream processing and alloy production as part of Aclara’s long-term growth strategy.

The state incentives package includes LED FastStart workforce development solutions and a $3 million performance-based grant for utility and infrastructure improvements. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s High Impact Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption program.

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Two Louisiana High School Football Teams Cancel Games Amid Safety Concerns

Published

3 days ago

October 23, 2025

Press Room

Two Louisiana High School Football Teams Cancel Games Amid Safety Concerns

Numbers can be tough in Louisiana’s Class 1A, the smallest football-playing classification. Two schools- Gueydan and Highland Baptist – canceled their games this week, citing the health and well-being of their student-athletes.

Gueydan (0-7) canceled its game against Westminster Christian-Lafayette, which was coming off a 49-14 win over Highland Baptist. Gueydan and Highland Baptist, which share the same mascot (Bears), are both members of District 6-1A. The two schools are scheduled to meet in Week 10.

Highland Baptist was set to face undefeated Ascension Episcopal tonight. The Bears, who have been shutout four times, played Berchmans Academy tough in Week 3 (lost 25-19). Last year, Highland Baptist recorded its one win with a 42-20 defeat of Gueydan.

Gueydan was coming off its closest loss of the season, a 30-20 setback to Trhive Academy. Located in rural western Vermilion Parish, Gueydan has a population of a little more 1,000 residents and is known for its annual duck festival.

District 6-1A is also home to Vermilion Catholic, which went undefeated in 2024 and won the Division IV select state championship. Vermilion Catholic blanked Highland Baptist 63-0 in Week 5 and is scheduled to host Gueydan next week.

Elsewhere in Class 1A, Oberlin forfeited its Week Six game against Elton, which affected the race for the state’s rushing leader. Elton’s Makelin Lemoine, who is second behind Trevin Simon (Ascension Catholic) has played one less game.

Oberlin (2-4) resumed play last week with a 51-48 win over Merryville. The Tigers from Allen Parish have 120 students. Gueydan has an enrollment of 125; Highland Baptist 134. Undefeated Hamiton Christian of Lake Charles has only 87 students.

By comparison, the largest non-football playing school in Class B (Choudrant) has 213 students.

The future should be brighter for Highland Baptist located in New Iberia, a city of approximately 30,000. The Bears have only a couple of seniors with six juniors and 13 sophomores. In 2021, the Bears finished 5-5 under retired coach Rick Hutson. Hopefully, both the Gueydan and Highland Baptist programs can return to action soon.

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

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