Press Releases
May 9, 2018
Washington, DC — Yesterday, King County in Washington State became the latest locality in the U.S. to file suit against oil and gas companies like BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch, and ConocoPhillips for knowingly selling a product that would cause “catastrophic” impacts as a result of climate change.
King County aims to recover costs associated with planning for and adapting to climate impacts by establishing an abatement fund that would help the county finance climate adaptation costs related to stormwater management, salmon recovery, public health, and other damages.
Below you’ll find a statement from Richard Wiles, Executive Director of the Center for Climate Integrity, in response to the news:
This is a moment of reckoning for the oil and gas industry.
Taxpayers are tired of paying for climate damages that the oil industry knowingly caused. And just like lawsuits against tobacco, lead, and asbestos manufacturers, they are taking action to recover costs.
Internal documents from Shell make clear that they understood their potential liability for climate damages at least 30 years ago.
The fossil fuel industry is not above the law: oil and gas is a product just like lead, asbestos, and tobacco, where producers can be held liable for damages.