St. Tammany Parish has filed suit to stop Helis Oil & Gas from conducting hydraulic fracturing in the Parish. The lawsuit, which was filed in 19th Judicial District Court, asks the court to enter a declaratory judgment that the State of Louisiana should not allow Helis to drill, because the proposed drilling violates Parish zoning laws. Also, the petition alleges that the state lacks the ability to provide adequate regulation over the drilling, and that the proposed drilling is detrimental to the welfare of St. Tammany Parish citizens.
Opponents claim that the proposed drilling in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale will necessarily go through the Southern Hills Aquifer, which provides approximately 90% of St. Tammany Parish’s water.
Other lawsuits related to the proposed drilling have been reported in this blog and were filed by an activist group, Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany Parish. One lawsuit sought documents submitted by Helis to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its permit application.
For further updates, check this blog, or contact Toni Ellington at (504) 599-8500.
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