It will likely be weeks or even months before the energy industry can assess all the legal implications in the wake of the devastation brought by Hurricane Harvey. And attorneys interviewed by Law360, including the firm’s Michael K. Hurst, agree that determining safety, environmental and contractual liability for the damage could take years to unravel.

"Once there’s an impact, it’s far-reaching, whether it’s in production, transportation, or storage,” Mr. Hurst said. “All of them will be impacted, such as storage tanks being broken, groundwater contamination, even possibly airborne hydrocarbons."

He also noted that those bearing the brunt of those environmental risks aren’t just on the Gulf Coast, but also further inland due to all the flooding.

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