Episode
Opinion Summary: Chevron v. Plaquemines | WWII Avgas Flies Chevron's Case to Federal Court
- Podcast
- The High Court Report
- Published
- Apr 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 962
- Processing state
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Summary
Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish | Case No. 24-813 | Decided: April 17, 2026 | Docket Link: Here Question Presented: Whether a state environmental lawsuit challenging a WWII military contractor's crude oil production "relates to" its federal avgas refining contract under the federal officer removal statute. Overview: Louisiana parishes sued Chevron over World War II oil production damage. Chevron invoked the federal officer removal statute, arguing its wartime crude oil production closely related to its military contract to refine aviation gasoline for the U.S. military. Posture: District Court and Fifth Circuit both denied removal; Supreme Court granted certiorari. Holding: Chevron plausibly alleged a close relationship between its challenged crude-oil production and the performance of its federal aviation gas refining duties and therefore satisfied the “relating to” requirement of the federal officer removal statute. Voting Breakdown: 8-0. Justice Thomas authored the majority, joined by six Justices. Justice Jackson authored an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Alito did not participate in the case. Result: Vacated and remanded. Majority Reasoning: (1) "Relating to" under the federal officer removal statute requires a close — not tenuous, remote, or peripheral — connection between challenged conduct and federal duties; no explicit contractual directive needed; (2) Chevron's crude oil production closely related to its federal avgas refining — wartime drilling practices directly enabled military fuel output; (3) The P.A.W.'s role allocating crude oil among refineries as an intermediary did not sever the production-refining relationship. Separate Opinions: Justice Jackson (concurring in judgment): Agreed Chevron satisfies the removal requirements but arg…