A Louisiana appeals court upheld the controversial decision to allow the Bayou Bridge Pipeline to be constructed through a portion of the state’s wetlands by a 4-1 vote on Jan. 30.
Critics of the decision claim that not enough consideration was given to the health of the animals, people or natural environment they say will be disrupted by the construction. Opponents of the pipeline, which is owned by Entergy Transfer Partners, had filed a lawsuit but the ruling by the appeals court is the final decision.
One opponent of the pipeline, Judge Marc Johnson of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, believes that the pipeline’s construction will directly conflict with the Louisiana Constitution requirements for the protection of natural resources, going so far as to claim that the permit was a violation of the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) duty. The judges that ruled in favor of the permit, however, believe that the Department of Natural Resources did indeed take all of the factors into account before issuing their permit.
Tyler Gray, president LMOGA
| Courtesy of LMOGA
The Louisiana Midcontinent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA) is pleased with the progress of the pipeline and stands by the decision made by the courts, with the understanding that precautions will have to be made to ensure that the pipeline is constructed with the best practices in mind.
“With all the development and production in the Permian and Delaware Basin, Louisiana needs more infrastructure to move product safely to Louisiana for processing, refining and export,” Tyler Gray, LMOGA president, told Louisiana Record. “LMOGA and its members recognize the importance of this decision to move Louisiana forward with infrastructure improvements.”
Once completed, the pipeline will span 162 miles and will transport nearly half a million gallons of oil a day. It will bring the oil through 11 parishes and through 700 bodies of water.