Maine Becomes the Latest State to Sue Oil Companies Over Climate Change

Climate|Maine Becomes the Latest State to Sue Oil Companies Over Climate Change

Maine has become the latest state to sue oil and gas companies over climate change, claiming that Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron and other giants waged a decades-long campaign to conceal the effects of fossil fuels and contributed to the extreme weather that has pummeled the state in recent years.

The lawsuit accuses the companies of having withheld what they knew about the consequences of fossil fuel use since the 1960s, leading to a financial burden on the state as it contends with sea-level rise, storms and warmer temperatures. The complaint, filed Tuesday in a Maine state court, includes seven alleged violations, including failure to warn, negligence, nuisance, trespass and unfair trade practices. It also names the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, which the lawsuit alleges “aided and abetted” deceptive conduct by the fossil fuel companies.

“For over half a century, these companies chose to fuel profits instead of following their science to prevent what are now likely irreversible, catastrophic climate effects,” said the Maine attorney general, Aaron M. Frey, a Democrat. “In so doing, they burdened the State and our citizens with the consequences of their greed and deception.”

The state said in the filing that it was seeking a jury trial and funding for past damage as well as for climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience measures in Maine.

Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, said that the storms that wracked the state last winter were just “further proof that climate change is harming our lives, our health and our economy — and it is time for the fossil fuel industry to be held responsible.”

Exxon Mobil rebutted the lawsuit’s claims and said that it had invested more than $20 billion in lower-emission initiatives.