A Louisiana state appeals court has found that a St. John the Baptist Parish judge violated state law in attempting to hold trials in January to determine how much the state must pay for some properties it expropriated for construction of the $309M Maurepas Swamp freshwater diversion project.
Two 5th Circuit Court of Appeal panels, ruling in different expropriation cases, found that 40th Judicial District Judge Vercell Fiffie improperly attempted to set trials in both cases after earlier rulings ordered him to grant the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s expropriation requests under the state’s “quick take” provisions.
Those allow the state to determine the value of seized property, and then provide landowners up to a year to challenge the state’s prices. (NOLA.com 12/29/23) Appeals court stops trials involving Maurepas diversion land | Courts | nola.com
Biden administration gives La. regulators new power
The Biden Administration is handing Louisiana regulators new power to attract and approve carbon capture projects at a time when the state’s influential energy sector wants to make the Gulf Coast a hub for the rapidly expanding industry.
Louisiana will be able to issue permits for wells that store carbon dioxide, a critical component of carbon capture and removal technology.
In all but two other states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for permitting.
Proponents of the change say it will speed up approvals of new projects that are critical for reducing climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions. (The AP 12/28/23) Feds grant Louisiana power to approve carbon capture wells | Environment | nola.com
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