On the morning after the House passed a “legacy lawsuit” bill favored by oil companies and opposed by landowners, a Senate committee today passed legislation favored by landowners and opposed by oil companies. After months of negotiations without compromise on a single bill, both sides now have measures they will try to drive through the process. A key point of difference between House Bill 618 by Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, and Senate Bill 731 by Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, is who can authorize a variance from state regulatory standards for cleaning up contaminated oilfield sites. The House bill vests the authority within the Department of Natural Resources to come up with a feasible plan, including variances, that shall be admissible in court. The Senate bill would let up to six different state agencies review the plan, with any one of them able to object to the plan. Landowners say Abramson’s bill puts too much authority in one office, which can be unduly influenced by the oil industry. Oil companies say Allain’s bill introduces more bureaucratic hurdles that will only further stall the legal process. In an odd twist, Vic Marcello, whose Carmouche firm has filed the most legacy lawsuits, opposed the Allain bill for complicating an already “bloated, overloaded procedure” and increasing costs for small landowners. Read the full column here for more on the legacy lawsuit bills and, in an unrelated matter, the likely snuffing out of a bill targeting smokers in the workplace.
(John Maginnis will publish a daily update throughout the legislative session on Daily Report PM. The report is also available to LaPolitics Weekly subscribers on the Subscribers Only page at LaPolitics.com. Registration is available on the homepage.)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is providing a daily video update featuring highlights of the session, which you can see beginning at 6 p.m. here.
