JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) 鈥� New Jersey officials announced a lawsuit Tuesday against five oil and gas companies and a petroleum trade organization, alleging they had known for decades about the harmful impact of fossil fuels on climate change but instead deceived the public about that link.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the state's consumer affairs division and environmental protection department said the suit filed Tuesday in Superior Court in Mercer County names Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Co. Chevron Corp., BP, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute trade group of which all are members.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to warn the public about the role of fossil fuels in climate change and instead 鈥渓aunched public-relations campaigns to sow doubts about the existence, causes, and effects of climate change."
鈥淏ased on their own research, these companies understood decades ago that their products were causing climate change and would have devastating environmental impacts down the road,鈥� said Platkin said in a statement. 鈥淭hey went to great lengths to hide the truth and mislead the people of New Jersey, and the world."
Shawn LaTourette, the state's environmental protection commissioner, called New Jersey the 鈥済round zero" for some of the worst impacts of climate change. The commissioner added that the Garden State communities and the environment 鈥渁re continually recovering from extreme heat, furious storms, and devastating floods.鈥�
The suit comes shortly before the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated large parts of New Jersey and New York City. The announcement of the suit was made at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, which was inundated by floodwaters from the storm.
The suit seeks civil penalties and damages, including for damage to natural resources such as wetlands, alleging that taxpayers will have to pay billions of dollars to protect communities from rising sea levels, deadlier storms, and other harmful effects and arguing that those costs should be paid by the defendants.
A number of other states and cities have filed similar suits against oil and gas companies in recent years.
The Shell Group said in a statement that its position on climate change 鈥渉as been a matter of public record for decades" and the company agreed action was needed and it was playing its part 鈥渂y addressing our own emissions and helping customers to reduce theirs."
鈥淎s the energy system evolves, so will our business, to provide the mix of products that our customers need and extend the economic and social benefits of energy access to everyone," the company said. Shell said, however, that 鈥渁 truly collaborative, society-wide approach" was required and the courtroom was not 鈥渢he right venue." Instead, the company said, 鈥渟mart policy from government, supported by action from all business sectors, including ours, and from civil society, is the appropriate way to reach solutions and drive progress."
Exxon Mobil spokesperson Casey Norton said such legal proceedings 鈥渨aste millions of dollars of taxpayer money and do nothing to advance meaningful actions that reduce the risks of climate change.鈥� Norton said the company would 鈥渃ontinue to invest in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting society鈥檚 growing demand for energy.鈥�
Chevron called the legal action 鈥渁 distraction from the serious problem of global climate change, not an attempt to find a real solution.鈥� A representative called it an attempt 鈥渢o punish a select group of energy companies for a problem that is the result of worldwide conduct stretching back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.鈥� The company called the claims asserted 鈥渓egally and factually meritless鈥� and vowed 鈥渢o demonstrate that in court" while continuing to work the public and private sectors "to craft real solutions to global climate change.鈥�
Representatives of BP and ConocoPhillips declined comment; a message seeking comment was also sent to the trade organization.
The Associated Press
