The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has issued a proposed amendment to Statewide Order 29-B that details the procedures the Department will follow in implementing oilfield clean-up plans referred to the Department under Act 312 of 2006. The Legislature passed Act 312 in 2006 to address the problem that damages awards in oilfield remediation litigation were not required to be expended on remediation. Under the Act, the Department is involved in formulating a remediation plan, and the remediation funds are to be deposited in the registry of the court and actually spent on remediation. The Commissioner of Conservation will conduct a hearing on the proposed regulations on Wednesday February 28, 2007. Comments may be submitted at the hearing, or may be submitted in writing up to March 7, 2007. To view the proposed regulations, click here. Most notably, the draft regulations state that remediation plans must comport with the standards set forth in Order 29-B.
