More than 2,300 shrimpers, boat owners and seafood businesses from across the Gulf Coast are suing two companies over an oil spill off Louisiana's coast on Aug. 8, 2022 — the opening day of shrimping season.

Roughly 200 of the plaintiffs are from Louisiana, with the rest from across the Gulf Coast. The case was filed last week in federal court in Houston.

A storage tank on Hilcorp’s offshore platform north of Timbalier Island failed after WCC allegedly damaged it during an oil transfer, according to the complaint. The plaintiffs say Hilcorp neglected to inspect the tank, which partially collapsed, fell into the Gulf, and spilled roughly 14,000 gallons of oil into nearby waters.

The slick drifted into Lake Pelto, a popular fishing area southwest of Cocodrie, prompting state officials

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