Compromise Reached In Oilfield Cleanup Dispute

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawmakers say they have brokered an agreement in an ongoing dispute between the oil and gas industry and landowners over how to clean up environmental damage done in drilling years ago.

The proposal, included Thursday in a bill by Sen. Robert Adley, would allow cleanup plans devised by the Department of Natural Resources to be admissible as evidence in a lawsuit for a larger damage claim, a move sought by the oil and gas industry.

Two other agencies, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Agriculture, would also be allowed to weigh in on the cleanup plan. That addresses complaints from landowners who said the industry has too heavy an influence over DNR and could pressure the agency in cleanup estimates that would be reviewed to determine damages.