State sues Texas Brine for Assumption Parish sinkhole

BATON ROUGE - On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Texas Brine's failed salt cavern in Bayou Corne, Governor Bobby Jindal and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that the State of Louisiana is filing suit against Texas Brine LLC for environmental damage caused by the collapse of a salt brining cavern operated by Texas Brine Company LLC.

Also named in the suit is the owner of the property, Occidental Chemical Company.

The Louisiana State Constitution mandates that the State and its agencies protect, conserve and replenish the natural resources of Louisiana. Pursuant to this authority, the Attorney General's office is filing suit on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and other responding state agencies.

In March, Governor Jindal met with Texas Brine officials and demanded settlement offers for residents affected by the sinkhole in Bayou Corne. To date, 62 of 92 affected residences whose owners have expressed interest in reaching a settlement agreement.

Negotiations between Texas Brine and residents who are allowed to continue negotiations under the terms of the federal judge's order are ongoing, with more agreements expected.

Aug. 3 marked the one-year anniversary of the occurrence of the sinkhole at Bayou Corne in Assumption Parish.