Judge Suspends Bayou Bridge Pipeline Permit

Following protests and a lawsuit by local fishermen and anti-carbon groups, a federal judge in Louisiana issued an injunction that could lead to a revocation of a permit for Energy Transfer Partners’ Bayou Bridge crude oil pipeline in the Atchafalaya Basin.

The pipeline is being developed by Energy Transfer Partners, which was also behind the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline that attracted widespread protests.
On February 23, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick in Baton Rouge granted a preliminary injunction requiring the Corps of Engineers to revisit its approval of the pipeline’s construction.

The plaintiffs argued that construction dredging in the swamp will alter its water flows, disrupting ecosystems and making the area more prone to floods.