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BATON ROUGE, LA (August 6, 2021) – Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a ruling that would help keep coastal erosion litigation against some of the nation’s largest oil companies in federal court.

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After the decision was issued, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Mike Moncla released the following statement:

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“The Louisiana Oil & Gas Association applauds the decision handed down by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this afternoon.

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Since the beginning of the coastal litigation process, the oil and gas industry in Louisiana has been on the decline. These frivolous lawsuits have hurt jobs, bankrupted marine service companies and operators, and have decimated the state’s tax revenue it receives from energy production.

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Our industry is committed to protecting the 250,000+ workers in the state that rely on oil and gas as well as preserving much-needed funds for Louisiana's coastal restoration efforts.

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Today's ruling makes it very clear how the Fifth Circuit views the arguments made by the plaintiff’s legal representation.”

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The ruling partially overturns a decision given by the Fifth Circuit in 2020 that would have sent the lawsuits back to state court.

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