County sues oil companies for billions over deadly 2021 heat dome
By KPTV Staff and Karli Olson
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PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — On Thursday, Multnomah County sued many of the biggest producers of coal and fossil fuels in an effort to hold them liable for the losses brought on by the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Dome.
The County alleges that the cumulative historical carbon pollution from the usage of Defendants’ fossil fuel products was a significant contributing element in producing and intensifying the heat dome that engulfed the County’s citizens for several days was the cumulative historical carbon pollution from the usage of Defendants’ fossil fuel goods.
The suit names 17 oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, and BP.
“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,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “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.”
Starting on June 25 of 2021, the three day heat dome caused temperatures of 108°, 112°, and 116° Fahrenheit, shattering previous heat records and resulting in 69 fatalities.
The lawsuit alleges that the extreme heat also led to property damage, and a major drain on county resources and tax dollars.
The lawsuit asserts, “The heat dome that cost so much life and loss was not a natural weather event. It did not just happen because life can be cruel, nor can it be rationalized as simply a mystery of God’s will. Rather, the heat dome was a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants’ decision to sell as many fossil fuel products over the last six decades as they could and to lie to the County, the public, and the scientific community about the catastrophic harm that pollution from those products into the Earth’s and the County’s atmosphere would cause.”
The County’s lawsuit seeks $50 million in actual damages and $1.5 billion in future damages.
Additionally, the County is seeking an abatement fund of $50 billion, to “study, plan, and upgrade the public health care services and infrastructure that will be reasonably necessary” to protect the county and its residents against future heat domes.
A lawyer for Chevron in response said: “Addressing the challenge of global climate change requires a coordinated policy response. These lawsuits are counterproductive distractions from advancing international policy solutions. The federal Constitution bars these novel, baseless claims that target one industry and group of companies engaged in lawful activity that provides tremendous benefits to society.”
An ExxonMobil spokesperson said, “Suits like these continue to waste time, resources and do nothing to address climate change. This action has no impact on our intention to invest billions of dollars to leading the way in a thoughtful energy transition that takes the world to net zero carbon emissions.”
FOX 12 has reached out to all of the oil companies named in the lawsuit for comment. To read more of their statements, visit: docs.google.com/document/d/1pVqVaZ1SpU2naz_sGP0SY22cX7Sh35tVrsNN0bYaHF4/edit
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