‘Legacy lawsuit’ compromise offered

05 17, 2012 by The Advocate

The Jindal administration announced late Wednesday a compromise on legislation involving “legacy lawsuits.”

State Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle said in a prepared statement that the compromise will speed up cleanup from oil and gas activities and ensure responsibility for the damage.

Legislators have been wrestling with how to deal with litigation, called legacy lawsuits, stemming from the contamination of land by oil and gas drilling activities over the decades.

Angelle said the compromise calls for his agency to structure a cleanup plan that will be admissible in court. He said oil and gas companies will be able to admit responsibility for the damage without admitting liability for private damages.

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