US Supreme Court rejects Chevron oil lawsuit

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court, in an 8-0 decision Friday, sent back a state court ruling against oil companies Chevron and ExxonMobil seeking millions of dollars for decades of oil production in Louisiana. The case, Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, questions to what extent a state court can litigate against an oil company for its production of oil even if it is for federal purposes. The litigation challenges activities of the oil company dating back to World War II in some cases. Lawyers for Chevron argued that the company was adhering to federal oil production requirements during wartime and the lawsuit belonged in federal court. Justices on the court agreed with Chevron. "Chevron “act[ed] under federal officers when it performed its refining duties," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the court's majority opinion. The court's justices said state courts cannot pursue litigation against federal e