Multnomah County is suing major oil and gas companies and their enablers to hold them accountable for decades of climate deception and pollution that fueled the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, which killed 69 county residents, placed enormous strain on municipal resources, and scientists said “was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.”
The lawsuit charges some of the world’s biggest climate polluters — including ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Koch Industries, and Total — as well as industry trade groups and consultants such as the American Petroleum Institute, Western States Petroleum Association, and McKinsey & Company, with defrauding the public for decades about the harm caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The county is seeking more than $51.5 billion in damages to recover from and prepare for past and future climate damages.
“This lawsuit is about accountability and fairness, and I believe the people of Multnomah County deserve both. These businesses knew their products were unsafe and harmful, and they lied about it. They have profited massively from their lies and left the rest of us to suffer the consequences and pay for the damages. We say enough is enough.”
Jessica Vega Pederson
Multnomah County Commission Chair
County of Multnomah
American Petroleum Institute (API), BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Equilon Enterprises, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Marathon, McKinsey, Motiva Enterprises, Occidental, Peabody Energy, Shell, Space Age Fuel, Total, Valero, Western States Petroleum, Northwest Natural Gas, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine
Climate
Negligence, Public Nuisance, Trespass, Fraud and Deceit
