SCOTUS Keeps Federal-Forum Door Open for Louisiana Coastal Lawsuits

The Supreme Court, in an 8-0 ruling on a procedural issue, allows oil and gas defendants like Chevron/Texaco to move a Louisiana coastal-erosion case from state court to federal court, part of a broader effort to shift dozens of long-running lawsuits that accuse them of wetlands destruction; a Plaquemines Parish jury previously ordered about $740 million for cleanup, while Louisiana warns of massive ongoing land loss linked to coastal infrastructure; the decision concerns forum, not merits, and Justice Alito recused.