BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities were liable for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
The award is roughly half the $667 million that a jury previously had awarded to the company, Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access.
State District Judge James Gion granted and denied Greenpeace requests to rule in its favor on various claims before recalculating the damages.
Energy Transfer said it intends to appeal the verdict “as we firmly believe that the original jury findings and damages awards for conspiracy and defamation are lawful and just.”
The lawsuit stems from against the Dakota Access oil pipeline and of the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The case would go next to the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. liable for defamation and other claims brought by Energy Transfer.
The jury found Greenpeace USA liable on all counts, including conspiracy, trespass, nuisance and tortious interference with business relations. The other two entities were found liable for some of the total claims.
Damages totaled $666.9 million, divided in different amounts among the three Greenpeace organizations, who earlier planned to appeal.
of carrying out a scheme to stop the pipeline. Greenpeace attorneys said there was no evidence to back up the pipeline company’s claims.
Since the verdict, attorneys for the Greenpeace entities asked the judge to reduce the damages and to undo the verdict in their favor. Energy Transfer asked the judge to enter the judgment the jury found.
The lawsuit was and in state district
In September, the judge denied a request from the pipeline company to stop Greenpeace International from continuing with an
The post Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half appeared first on Associated Press.
