WASHINGTON -- Louisiana congressional members are taking a wait-and-see attitude about the historic lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of East Bank levee districts seeking money to restore wetlands district officials say were destroyed or damaged by the operations of oil, gas and pipeline companies. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he wants to read the lawsuit filed by the Southeast...
WASHINGTON -- Louisiana congressional members are taking a wait-and-see attitude about the historic lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of East Bank levee districts seeking money to restore wetlands district officials say were destroyed or damaged by the operations of oil, gas and pipeline companies.
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he wants to read the lawsuit filed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East before commenting. "I'm a recovering lawyer. I actually want to understand the substance," he said.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said it isn't her position to either endorse or reject the lawsuit, but says she understands the frustration that led to its filing.
"I think we should seek justice everywhere we can find it," Landrieu said. "In Baton Rouge, in Washington and in the courts, we must continue to try and keep our people above water and keep our communities from drowning."
But Landrieu said a complex suit, like the one filed on behalf of the levee boards, will take years to work through the courts, and Louisiana's coast can't wait.
Landrieu said she will continue her fight to increase federal revenue sharing of royalty payments for offshore drilling, adding that she remains hopeful of getting the Obama administration to change its current position of non-support for her legislative remedy, called the Fair Act.
About the role of the energy companies named in the lawsuit, many of which have been campaign contributors to her and other Louisiana lawmakers, Landrieu said:
"There's no doubt that the companies themselves that put in pipelines in the 40s, 50s and 60s -- while they might have complied with the laws at the time -- they have a very negative impact on the erosion of our coast. How much and what percentage, the verdict is out."
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, reacted the most negatively among Louisiana lawmakers to the lawsuit. He said that he will continue to fight for more revenue sharing from off-shore royalty payments and for that to succeed "we cannot have trial lawyers" seek to take away a good deal of the companies' revenue.
Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, called the lawsuit "creative."
"I have to take a look at it and try to figure out the merits and whether there's likelihood to prevail," Richmond said. "But I think it highlights the fact that our coast has been eroding as we've continued to be the major source of energy for the rest of the country."
Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said he also needs to look at the lawsuit before commenting on its merits.
