Louisiana lumber firms lose appeal over alleged damage from widening gas pipeline canals

Two Louisiana lumber companies have lost a legal battle against a natural gas company over canals that they said had gradually widened and damaged their land. An appeals court has upheld an earlier decision dismissing their lawsuit, saying they waited too long to take legal action.According to the judgment document, White Castle Lumber & Shingle Company and Jeanerette Lumber & Shingle Company had accused Southern Natural Gas Company (SNG) of failing to maintain canals dug through their properties for a gas pipeline.

They claimed that the canals had widened over the years because of erosion, eating into their land and affecting its drainage.The dispute began in 1952, when both lumber companies allowed SNG to build a pipeline across their properties. Their agreements permitted the company to dig canals up to 40 feet wide.

They also required it to spread the excavated soil evenly and ensure that the work did not block water from draining from nearby land.In 1970, the companies signed revised agreements allowing SNG to shift the pipeline route and install a second pipeline.