Judge Dismisses Lawsuit to Protect Mississippi Gulf Coast Dolphins

The lawsuit claimed the Army Corps of Engineers' actions in 2019 led to the deaths of dozens of dolphins, but the court found no imminent harm.

A federal judge ruled that the Mississippi Sound Coalition lacked legal standing to sue the Army Corps of Engineers.
The lawsuit followed the prolonged opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway in 2019, which allegedly killed or sickened 142 bottlenose dolphins.
The plaintiffs argued that the spillway's operation flushed pollutants and reduced salinity, harming local wildlife and tarnishing tourism and seafood industries.
The court found the potential for future harm too speculative, citing no evidence of dolphin harm in spillway operations in 2020, 2018, or 2016.
The coalition had sought a requirement for the Army Corps to obtain permits for actions that might harm marine mammals, which the judge did not mandate.