From the Registrar of Voters Office:
For Cypremort Point Only- (Precinct #1)
Fire Protection District No. 1 2 Mills Renewal - BOC - 10 Yrs. (see attachment)
For East of St. Mary Parish (Precincts 35-44) ONLY
Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2 2.79 Millage Cont. - BOC 10 Yrs. (see attachment)
Early voting will be April 19-26, excluding Sunday, April 20
The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 985-380-4605.
Monday, April 7
7:40 a.m. 2100 block of Cedar Street; Complaint.
7:50 a.m. 300 block of Chennault Street; Animal complaint.
8:10 a.m. 1600 block of Filmore Street; Medical.
8:28 a.m. 900 block of Clothilde Street; Stand by.
8:36 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
8:51 a.m. 7000 block of Railroad Avenue; Medical.
9:01 a.m. 700 block of Arkansas Street; Animal complaint.
10:04 a.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
10:31 a.m. 1100 block of Front Street; Disturbance.
10:56 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
11:01 a.m. 1900 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
11:35 a.m. 700 block of Terrebonne Street; Complaint.
11:46 a.m. 600 block of Terrebonne Street; Complaint.
11:51 a.m. 10th block of Apple Street; Disturbance.
12:33 p.m. 200 block of Chennault Street; Medical.
1:08 p.m. 700 block of General Hodges Street; Disturbance.
2:09 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Subject removal.
2:44 p.m. 1600 block of Mayon Street; Animal complaint.
3:47 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Road blockage.
3:51 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Warrant.
4:04 p.m. Terrebonne Street; Complaint.
6:18 p.m. 1400 block of Sandra Street; Alarm.
6:28 p.m. Shannon/Terrebonne streets; Complaint.
6:41 p.m. 5000 block of Railroad Avenue; Welfare check.
7:08 p.m. 900 block of Clothilde Street; Complaint.
7:17 p.m. U.S. 90; Stalled vehicle.
7:53 p.m. 200 block of Onstead Street; Disturbance.
7:59 p.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Alarm.
8:10 p.m. 3000 block of Lizabeth Drive; Assistance.
Tuesday, April 8
1:57 a.m. 900 block of Clothilde Street; Complaint.
The Rotary Club of Morgan City’s New Generation Forum has been bringing high school students and their ideas for civic improvements to the public for 31 years.
On Thursday, some of their plans tugged at the heart, too.
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Superintendent Dr. Buffy Fegenbush said after seven presentations by the high school teams, “but I didn’t know I was supposed to bring tissues with me tonight.”
The seven members of the Berwick High team came to Morgan City High with a plan to renovate Pharr Park’s playground in honor of Miles Liner, a talented BHS student and athlete who died in an accident in 2012.
Liner had moved on from Berwick High to LSU, where he studied engineering and worked on playground construction.
The students proposed broadening the park’s appeal with exercise equipment as well as new playground equipment, all inspired by the existing Pride Rock in Liner’s honor.
Berwick Town Council member Colleen Askew offered some encouragement.
“I want you all to know we’ve talked to [Mayor Duval Arthur], and we’re on board with whatever you need,” Askew said.
Franklin High’s four-member team proposed what they called the Tree of Fallen Angels. Small trees would be placed around the parish so people could decorate them with notes in memory of loved ones.
Each of the four team members has been touched by the death of a loved one. For Ra’Quan Prejean, the loved one was his father. He remembers getting the news of his father’s death by phone in 2019.
“Even though me and my father wasn’t close,” Prejean said, “the one thing he had was a very amazing personality, and he was very outgoing.”
The tree message would “symbolize my love for him and give him a chance to be known around the community and what a person he was.”
Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna liked the idea.
“I think this is the easiest thing to implement,” Dragna said. “And I think we should do it in different places in Morgan City, too. We’d be happy to put one at City Hall.”
Other ideas at the forum:
•Morgan City High students focused on youth programs that already exist, including the Morgan City Youth Center and the “AHEC of a Summer” effort, which introduces students to work in health care fields.
The team members threw in some ideas of their own: movie and “foodie” nights at Lawrence Park, additional pickleball courts, and volleyball tournaments at Lake End Park.
•Two of the presentations included participation in the Big Brother/Big Sister organization.
West St. Mary’s Skye Druilhet focused on monthly sessions devoted to life skills such as writing a resume’, tying a tie and changing a tire. It would also be a place to turn for questions about sensitive topics such as sexually transmitted disease, a process that Druilhet said could make students more likely to seek out adult experts.
Glencoe Charter students said Big Brother/Big Sister relationships can help younger students learn from older students, easing their way into the upper grades and making them better students.
•Central Catholic students proposed a youth voter registration drive, sometimes using resources already available from the Secretary of State’s Office.
In 2016, they said, 500 or fewer votes decided 350 Louisiana elections. Meanwhile, young people accounted for only 16% of the vote.
“We want to target the apathy of youth and let them know how important their voice is,” said team member Lucy Kincade.
•Patterson High students proposed a festival with the slogan “one world, one community.”
The event would feature food, music and dance from around the world, with a kids corner, educational booths and photo props. The two-member team presented budget plans and a noon-7 p.m. schedule.
Fegenbush and Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan joked about fighting over whether the high school or the city government would get to host the festival.
Here are the teams that participated in Thursday's New Generation Forum at Morgan City High.
Sheila Ann Ourso Burdick, 73, a native of Morgan City, died Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner.
She is survived by her husband, Edison Burdick; children, Trevor Patterson Jr., Dawn LaCoste, Danny Burdick and Deanne Bligh; siblings, Aubrey, Ginger, Gianna, Sabena, Dana and Monessa; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, son, paternal and maternal grandparents, brother and three grandsons.
Visitation will be Thursday, 5-8 p.m., at Twin City Funeral Home. A Mass will be Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Berwick. After cremation, burial will be in the Morgan City Mausoleum at a later date.
Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee this week reviewed budget requests from several Louisiana public safety agencies, where concerns over outdated technology, chronic staffing shortages, and expanding operational needs took center stage.
The Office of Motor Vehicles, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Department of Corrections and Office of Juvenile Justice presented their Fiscal Year 2026 proposals. While each agency faces unique challenges, lawmakers consistently pressed for long-overdue upgrades and better oversight of how taxpayer dollars are being spent. No agency reported any significant changes in federal funding.
The OMV requested an $83 million budget — 91% of which is funded by self-generated fees. But rather than focusing on dollars, lawmakers fixated on the agency’s decades-old computer systems, which continue to frustrate residents trying to obtain Real IDs, which will be required for all Louisiana’s starting in May.
Officials said they’ve extended weekend hours and are considering Sunday openings to keep up with demand, even as 55 of 566 positions remain vacant.
“This didn’t just start,” Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Bienville, said. “It’s been nearly 20 years and we’re still dealing with the same outdated system,” noting that legislation had been proposed as far back as 2008 to upgrade the system.
The budget request presentation did not include any funds for an upgraded computer system. As previously reported, aging IT and computer systems are an issue among several state agencies and departments, including the State Police and the Department of Children and Family Services.
The Fire Marshal’s Office is in line for $39.5 million, a $3.1 million increase from last year driven by salaries, repairs, and higher tech fees. Much of the budget — $31.2 million — comes from statutory dedications. Interim Commissioner Bryan Adams highlighted excessive costs in past tech leasing deals and said the agency is now working with the Office of Technology Services to rein in spending.
“OTS takes a beating in these meetings,” Adams said, though he added that agencies need to do their own part. “We’re going to fix ours.”
The Department of Public Safety and Corrections proposed a reduced $768.5 million budget — down $22.3 million from last year, mostly due to the end of one-time expenses. Despite this drop, staffing remains a challenge. Of 4,890 authorized positions, 403 were vacant at the end of 2024.
Salaries and benefits make up 67% of the budget, while the average daily cost per inmate remains high at $122.55. Officials expect about $2 million to be available for justice reinvestment programs in FY 2026, following $4.3 million in savings from reduced incarceration rates.
The Office of Juvenile Justice requested a $197.9 million budget—an increase of $19.5 million from FY 2025 — with 89% coming from the state general fund. Nearly all funding supports the Youth Services Program.
A key driver of the increase is the $15.4 million operational plan to reopen the Jetson Center for Youth as a reception and diagnostic facility. The funding includes:
•$12.7 million for 77 new positions, medical contracts, and 44 secure beds.
•$2.8 million and 31 existing positions transferred from a shuttered facility in St. Martin.
OJJ will also launch a juvenile electronic monitoring program in New Orleans with a $1 million increase in self-generated revenues. Local housing for juvenile offenders received a modest boost — up $1.3 million—due to rising detention center rates.
Personnel services across OJJ will rise by $16.1 million, while other charges largely for treatment services and foster care contracts — total $62.7 million. As of December 30, OJJ had 139 vacant positions out of 1,070 authorized.
(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)
A Berwick man has been arrested in a series of vehicle burglaries in Bayou L’Ourse.
Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:
--Keon Amaud Carbin, 21, Parro Lane, Berwick, was booked Thursday on 11 counts of simple burglary of vehicles.
The arrests results from an investigation in the Bayou L’Ourse community dating back to January 2022.
On or about Jan. 22, 2022, deputies responded to multiple complaints of motor vehicle burglaries in the area of Griffin Court.
Deputies and detectives initiated an investigation and identified 11 vehicles that had been burglarized. Deputies located electronic surveillance evidence, which led to the identification of a suspect vehicle.
During the same period, the suspect vehicle was connected to burglaries in the Gibson and Stephensville areas.
Through investigation, deputies identified several suspects, one being Carbin, and were able to place Carbin in the area when the burglaries were committed.
At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives secured arrest warrants charging Carbin with multiple counts of burglary.
Carbin was being held in the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center and was released Thursday to the custody of the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office. He remains incarcerated with bond set at $275,000.
Carbin is also wanted by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office on three counts of simple burglary and nine counts of attempted simple burglary.
Morgan City
Chief Chad M. Adams reported these arrests:
--Amber Fendley, 40, Crenshaw Street, Berwick, was arrested at 12:09 p.m. Friday on a charge of theft (under $1,000).
--Branden Knight, 17, Garber Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:12 p.m. Friday on a charge of resisting an officer.
--Jared Lacoste, 43, Sixth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:43 p.m. Friday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
--Garrett Dugas, 35, Bayou Drive, Pierre Part, was arrested 1:59 a.m. Saturday on two counts of failure to appear for trial (6th Ward Morgan City Court).
--Mathew Miller, 31, Marshall Street, Morgan City, was arrested at midnight Saturday on a charge of simple burglary.
--Lopez Rodrigo, 28, Lakeview Drive, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:22 a.m. Sunday on charges of careless operation of a motor vehicle, no driver’s license and no registration.
--Martin Johnson, 44, Myrtle Street, Patterson, was arrested at 5:40 p.m. Sunday on a charge of criminal trespass.
--Yosheka Hayes, 37, was arrested Sunday on a charge of criminal trespass.
--Ronald Johnson, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:03 p.m. Sunday on charges of reckless operation of a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated (second offense), failure to signal and no driver’s license.
--Eric Harvey, 41, Adams Street, Morgan City, was arrested on 2:14 p.m. Thursday on a charge of failure to appear to pay fines (6th Ward Morgan City Court).
--Christopher Sylvester, 28, Short Street, Morgan City, was arrested at at 2:23 p.m. Thursday on two counts of failure to appear for trial (6th Ward Morgan City Court).
--Kimiya Joseph, 31, Apple Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:15 p.m. Thursday on a charge of hit and run. (Released on summons.)
--James Domangue, 74, Nebraska Street, Houma, was arrested at 8:57 a.m. April 2 on a charge of criminal trespass.
--Myles Morgan, 37, Bush Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:36 p.m. April 2 on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
--Dylan Hauffpauir, 26, Griffin House Lane, Katy, Texas, was arrested at 3:38 p.m. April 2 as a fugitive from the Walter County Sheriff’s Department.
--Mathew Miller, 41, Marshall Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:31 a.m. Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace (intoxicated).
St. Mary
Sheriff Gary Driskell reported these arrests:
--Brad Devonce Vincent, 46, Franklin, was arrested at 1:28 p.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to register as a sex offender. Bail was set at $25,000.
--Juan Hernandez, 33, Siracusa, was arrested at 9:23 p.m. Thursday on a charge of domestic abuse battery. Hernandez was released on a $5,000 bond.
--Mercy Denise Henley, 39, Patterson, was arrested at 7:57 p.m. Sunday on a Patterson Police Department warrant alleging unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Bail has not been set at this time.
Franklin
Chief Cedric Handy reported these arrests:
--Antonio Davis, 38, Gum Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:01 a.m. Friday on charges of remaining where forbidden and unlawful disruption of the operation of a school. Davis was booked, processed and released on a $5,000 bond.
--Alton Fine, 34, Blakesley Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:05 a.m. Friday on a charge of possession of a firearm by person convicted of certain felonies. Fine was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.
--Lachanda Casteal, 36, Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested at 12:51 a.m. Saturday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of speeding. Casteal was booked, processed and released on a $353 bond.
--Carl Joseph Jr., 31, Trowbridge Street, Franklin, was arrested at 4:09 a.m. Saturday on a charge of remaining where forbidden. Joseph was booked, processed and held on a $1,000 bond.
--David Babino, 62, Roys Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 2:25 a.m. Sunday on charges of maximum speed limit and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Babino was booked, processed and released on a $1,090 bond.
--Steven Randle, 55, Ninth Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:53 a.m. Thursday on charges of violation of protective order and simple assault. Randle was booked, processed and held with no bond set at time of press release.
--Juvenile was arrested at 6:10 p.m. Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).
--Juvenile was arrested at 6:12 p.m. Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).
--Juvenile was arrested at 6:13 p.m. Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).
--Fantasia Elzy, 20, First Street, Franklin, was arrested at 6:15 p.m. Thursday on charges of disturbing the peace (fighting) and simple battery. Elzy was booked, processed and released on a $3,500 bond.
--Reed Johnson, 42, Oakdale Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:19 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of criminal neglect of family. Johnson was additionally arrested on a charge of resisting an officer. Johnson was booked, processed and held on a $22,790.32 bond.
The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 985-380-4605.
Friday, April 4
6:46 a.m. 100 block of Youngswood Road; Animal complaint.
7:19 a.m. Duke/Eighth streets; Vehicle accident.
7:27 a.m. Railroad Avenue/Myrtle Street; Complaint.
7:31 a.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Alarm.
8:05 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Alarm.
9:23 a.m. 100 block of Village Lane; Assistance.
10 a.m. Lake Palourde Road; Theft.
10:11 a.m. La .70/Brashear Avenue; Signs and signals.
12:04 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Shoplifting.
1:04 p.m. 900 block of Cherry Street; Animal complaint.
1:37 p.m. 2400 block of Apple Street; Medical.
2:07 p.m. U.S. 90 East/Martin Luther King Boulevard; Stalled vehicle.
3:48 p.m. 200 block of Amelia Street; Complaint.
3:56 p.m. 1200 block of Front Street; Welfare concern.
4:29 p.m. 3000 block of Francis Street; Assistance.
4:32 p.m. U.S. 90 West/Bayou Ramos; Stalled vehicle.
5:09 p.m. 300 block of Patton Street; Animal complaint.
5:19 p.m. Fifth/Maine streets; Suspicious subjects.
5:29 p.m. 1500 block of Walnut Drive; Suspicious subject.
5:35 p.m. 2600 block of Sixth Street; Warrant.
5:39 p.m. Tupelo/Orange streets; Complaint.
5:48 p.m. Front Street area; Patrol request.
7:29 p.m. 300 block of Adams Street; Reckless operation.
7:38 p.m. 300 block of Adams Street; Reckless operation.
8:10 p.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Suspicious subject.
Saturday, April 5
12:11 a.m. 2300 block of Federal Avenue; Theft.
12:31 a.m. 200 block of Glenwood Street; Medical.
1:08 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Alarm.
1:48 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Arrest.
2:34 a.m. 2600 block of Hemlock Street; Medical.
3:57 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Arrest.
4:44 a.m. Federal Avenue/Freret Street; Suspicious subject.
5:37 a.m. 700 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Medical.
5:56 a.m. 700 block of Brashear Avenue; Crash.
10:28 a.m. 200 block of Franklin Street; Complaint.
11:11 a.m. 6600 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
11:23 a.m. 3100 block of Susan Drive; Telephone harassment.
11:38 a.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Frequent patrols.
12:22 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Vehicle accident.
12:40 p.m. 200 block of Onstead Street; Animal complaint.
1:04 p.m. 100 block of Eleventh Street; Theft.
3:52 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Animal complaint.
4:03 p.m. 300 block of Chennault Street; Animal complaint.
4:22 p.m. 700 block of Cottonwood Street; Alarm.
4:40 p.m. 2300 block of Federal Avenue; Warrant.
4:48 p.m. 200 block of Chennault Street; Medical.
5:18 p.m. U.S. 90/La. 182 Exit; Reckless driver.
5:42 p.m. Ditch/Railroad avenues; Suspicious subject.
6:36 p.m. 700 block of Duke Street; Theft.
7:08 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Crash.
8:07 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Assistance.
8:35 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
9:06 p.m. 1000 block of Second Street; Medical.
11:41 p.m. 1200 block of Onstead Street; Disturbance.
11:45 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Loud music.
Sunday, April 6
12:07 a.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
12:18 a.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Complaint.
12:29 a.m. 1200 block of Onstead Street; Disturbance.
2:30 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
8:08 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Vehicle accident.
8:26 a.m. 600 block of Arenz Street; Remove subjects.
9:43 a.m. Victor II Boulevard; /Ida Street; Assistance.
10:14 a.m. 300 block of Greenwood Street; Medical.
12:49 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
1:53 p.m. 7300 block of La. 182; Traffic incident.
1:58 p.m. 200 block of Brashear Avenue; Stand by.
3:29 p.m. 72000 block of La. 182; Juvenile problem.
3:36 p.m. 3200 block of Lake Palourde Road; Vehicle accident.
4:48 p.m. 200 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
5:14 p.m. 5000 block of Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
5:29 p.m. 900 block of Clothilde Street; Criminal trespassing.
6:04 p.m. 800 block of Alabama Street; Medical.
6:07 p.m. 400 block of Fourth Street; Vehicle accident.
6:40 p.m. 1000 block of Marguerite Street; Medical.
8:41 p.m. Federal/Brashear avenues; Reckless driver.
9:55 p.m. Roderick Street; Loud music.
10:09 p.m. 3000 block of Lake Palourde; Alarm.
10:36 p.m. 3000 block of Lizabeth Drive; Complaint.
Monday, April 7
3:31 a.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
The latest forecast by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center is projecting 7½ feet on the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City by April 26, the Port of Morgan City said Monday.
.
“If the current forecast holds, the St. Mary Levee District (SMLD) may anticipate closing the Bayou Chene Flood Control Structure,” the port’s Cindy Cutrera said in an email.
The Bayou Chene structure is designed to block back-flooding when the Atchafalaya runs high.
The decision point occurs when the Atchafalaya reaches 7 feet at Morgan City, said Levee District Director Tim Matte.
Last week, south wind was driving the river level up, Matte said, but the stage started going down when the wind shifted come from the north in the last few days.
But portions of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys have been drenched with unusually heavy rain over the last week, pushing the Mississippi River up and increasing the amount of water that will be diverted into the Atchafalaya.
The river fell from 4.52 feet Saturday to 3.3 feet at 11 a.m. Monday, according to the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center’s online gauge.
The river is expected to reach the 4-foot action stage Wednesday, the 6-foot minor flood stage April 15 and the 7-foot moderate flood stage April 19.
A $744 million jury verdict in Louisiana is at the center of a coordinated legal effort to force oil companies to pay billions of dollars to ameliorate the erosion of land in Louisiana, offset climate change and more.
Proponents say the payments are overdue, but critics say the lawsuits will hike energy costs for all Americans and are wrongly supplanting the state and federal regulatory framework already in place.
In the Louisiana case in question, Plaquemines Parish sued Chevron alleging that oil exploration off the coast decades ago led to the erosion of Louisiana’s coastline.
A jury ruled Friday that Chevron must pay $744 million in damages.
The Louisiana case is just one of dozens of environmental cases around the country that could have a dramatic – and costly – impact on American energy consumers.
While each environmental case has its own legal nuances and differing arguments, the lawsuits are usually backed by one of a handful of the same law firms that have partnered with local and state governments. In Louisiana, attorney John Carmouche has led the charge.
"If somebody causes harm, fix it," Carmouche said to open his arguments.
Environmental arguments of this nature have struggled to succeed in federal courts, but they hope for better luck in state courts, as the Louisiana case was.
Those damages for exploration come as President Donald Trump is urging greater domestic oil production in the U.S. to help lower energy costs for Americans.
Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute, told The Center Square that the Louisiana case could go to the U.S. Supreme Court, as Chevron is expected to appeal.
“So the issue at play here is a question about coastal erosion, about legal liability and about the proper role of the courts versus state government or federal government in enforcing regulation and statute,” Erspamer said.
Another question in the case is whether companies can be held accountable for actions they carried out before regulations were passed restricting them.
“There are now well more than 40 different lawsuits targeting over 200 different companies,” Erspamer said.
The funds would purportedly be used for coastal restoration and a kind of environmental credit system, though critics say safeguards are not in place to make sure the money would actually be used as stated.
While coastal erosion cases appear restricted to Louisiana, similar cases have popped up around the U.S. in the last 10 to 15 years.
Following a similar pattern, local and state governments have partnered with law firms to sue oil producers for large sums to help offset what they say are the effects of climate change, as The Center Square previously reported.
For instance, in Pennsylvania, Bucks County sued a handful of energy companies, calling for large abatement payments to offset the effects of climate change.
“There are all kinds of problems with traceability, causation and allocability,” George Mason University Professor Donald Kochan told The Center Square, pointing out the difficulty of proving specific companies are to blame when emissions occur all over the globe, with China emitting far more than the U.S.
“Did fossil fuels actually cause this impact?” Kochan said. “Then how much of these particular defendants’ fossil fuels caused this impact? These are the things that should be in a typical trial, because due process means you can't be responsible for someone else's actions. Then you have to decide, and can you trace the particular pollution that affected this community to the defendant's actions?”
Those cases are in earlier stages and face more significant legal hurdles because of questions about whether plaintiffs can justify the cases on federal common law because it is difficult to prove than any one individual has been substantively and directly harmed by climate change.
On top of that, plaintiffs must also prove that emissions released by the particular oil companies are responsible for the damage done, which is complicated by the fact that emissions all over the world affect the environment, the majority of which originate outside the U.S.
“It's not that far afield from the same kinds of lawsuits we've seen in California and New York and other places that more are on the emissions and global warming side rather than the sort of dredging and exploration side,” Erspamer said.
But environmental companies argue that oil companies must fork out huge settlements to pay for environmental repairs.
For now, the Louisiana ruling is a shot across the bow in the legal war against energy companies in the U.S.
Whether the appeal is successful or other lawsuits have the same impact remains to be seen.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255