GAIN Statement on Judge Dick’s ruling on Bayou Bridge Project

Earlier today, U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick denied the Bayou Bridge Pipeline’s motion to stay her preliminary injunction pending appeal. This means that the company will not be able to move forward with construction in the Basin – at least for now. The company can, and is, moving forward with construction outside of the Basin.

As GAIN has previously noted, this preliminary injunction against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline could result in significant and unnecessary delays to the project, cost hundreds of Louisianans their jobs, and threaten the environmental stability of the Atchafalaya Basin.

The case been appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Watchers of the DAPL proceedings, shouldn’t be surprised by this – no matter which party was successful in the lower court, it was most likely moving on. Earlier this week, the Fifth Circuit appointed Circuit Judges W. Eugene Davis, Edith Brown Clement and Priscilla Owen to hear the appeal, and scheduled a first hearing for Tuesday, March 13 in New Orleans. Both parties have been given until April 16 to file written briefs with the Court of Appeals.

Below is a statement you can attribute to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition. Also, you can follow us on Twitter @GAINNowAmerica.

“Judge Dick’s ruling today includes nothing that had not already been presented by the court in prior rulings. Unfortunately, the Judge ignores the negative economic impacts that the project, its workers, and the Louisiana economy will face as a result of this work stoppage. The GAIN Coalition is hopeful that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will give thoughtful consideration to the continuing effects of the preliminary injunction against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, and to the reality that the project has already been fully approved and permitted by the appropriate federal and state regulatory authorities.”