Oil Giants Urge Justices to Keep Coastal Suits in Federal Court

Louisiana parishes’ challenges accusing fossil fuel companies of coastal destruction belong in federal court instead of state court, Chevron USA Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., and others told the US Supreme Court.

“The oil-production practices at issue in this litigation were integral to the petitioners’ fulfillment of federal contacts, and all the other requirements for removal are likewise satisfied,” the companies said in their brief filed at the high court Thursday.

The parishes’ suits claim the companies’ oil exploration, production, and transportation activities damaged coastal wetlands and marshes—violating the Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act. The law ...