For years, oil and gas companies have argued that litigation seeking to have the industry pay for historic environmental damage to Louisiana's coast and groundwater has been a deal killer for new drilling, creating financial risks that have scared off operators and stymied new jobs.

But one of the chief architects of lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes against the oil companies is contending that the opposite would be true over the long term if the suits are ultimately successful.

Baton Rouge lawyer John Carmouche says addressing the decades of environmental damage and leftover oil-and-gas infrastructure on the coast would clear away a major obstacle for new drilling by operators looking to enter the market.

"They can't go operate because they don't want to be held responsible for so

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