A civil jury has ordered Chevron to pay more than $744 million in damages for destroying parts of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. The verdict marks the conclusion of the first trial among 42 lawsuits alleging that Chevron’s oil and gas projects contributed to wetland degradation. Texaco, a subsidiary of Chevron, was found to have violated state regulations by dredging canals, drilling wells, and dumping wastewater into the marsh. The jury awarded $575 million for land loss, $161 million for contamination, and $8.6 million for abandoned equipment. Chevron plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the law does not apply retroactively to actions taken decades ago. Louisiana’s wetlands are critically endangered, with the state experiencing more wetland loss than any other in the continental U.S.
— new from The Guardian
