A coalition of central Louisiana residents and local elected officials has filed a lawsuit against Governor Jeff Landry’s administration, arguing that state laws enabling carbon capture developers to take private land for CO2 pipeline projects violate fundamental constitutional protections.
The group, Save My Louisiana, filed the suit Thursday in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge. Led by president Gray Musgrove, the plaintiffs span five parishes – Allen, Beauregard, Livingston, Rapides and Vernon – where many of the state’s proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects are concentrated.
The case names both Gov. Landry and state Conservation and Energy Secretary Dustin Davidson as defendants.
The lawsuit claims Louisiana’s eminent domain statutes grant “special privileges” to private companies and undermine citizens’ rights to property ownership and due process. State officials declined comment, citing policies around pending litigation.
A Growing Pipeline Buildout Meets Rising Local Opposition
Louisiana is currently reviewing 31 carbon capture projects, which together include 101 proposed CO2 injection wells across 18 parishes. Only one well, Hackberry Carbon Sequestration in Cameron Parish, has been approved to date.
State law allows developers to argue that CO2 pipelines serve the public good by helping remove climate-warming emissions. But critics say the benefits are uncertain and the risks fall disproportionately on rural landowners.
The 2020 CO2 pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, which hospitalized 45 people, remains a touchstone example for opponents who worry about safety, groundwater contamination, and long-term leakage.
Relevant: Louisiana Gov. Landry Pauses New Carbon Capture Projects
Among supporters of the lawsuit is Louisiana State Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate John Fleming, who argues CCS-related land seizures do not meet the threshold of serving the public interest. “This is for the benefit of a very, very small group of people who will end up making lots of money from this,” he said at a press conference.
The debate has exposed divisions within the state’s Republican establishment, traditionally aligned with the oil and gas industry. While Gov. Landry has publicly encouraged CCS deployment, several GOP lawmakers want tighter guardrails and greater local control.
Residents like Beauregard Parish’s Mona DeFries say that beyond property rights, transparency is lacking. “The safety issues haven’t been expressed clear enough for us,” she said, calling eminent domain for carbon capture “a slap in the face.”
Read more: Iowa Counties Take Carbon Pipeline Setback Fight To the Supreme Court
