Vermont Should Create a “Climate Superfund” to Hold Big Oil Accountable
Vermont can make Big Oil pay for its role in climate change with the Climate Superfund bills.
Vermont can make Big Oil pay for its role in climate change with the Climate Superfund bills.
“Despite Shell’s many efforts to obstruct our case and avoid producing evidence, the court has recognized that this important case will now proceed to trial,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The company’s inconsistent positions about climate risk and unlawful operation of its New Haven facility are putting families, businesses, and local waters in harm’s way. This decision brings us one step closer to protecting New Haven communities and the surrounding environment from Shell’s unlawful conduct.
“Sprague’s Quincy terminal is an accident waiting to happen,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The climate crisis is worsening storms and flooding in and around Boston Harbor, and Sprague has sat on their hands while nearby communities are at risk of being inundated with a toxic oil spill. This facility is woefully unprepared for extreme weather, and it’s time the owners are held accountable in court.”
“We will see Shell in court for putting the New Haven community in danger of life-threatening toxic spills,” said Brad Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “These fossil fuel companies have been deceiving regulators and the public about the risk of the climate crisis for years. It’s past time for them to be held accountable for putting communities and the environment in harm’s way.”
With pressure from CLF’s lawsuit mounting, the oil giant closed its polluting facility. But that won’t allow them to escape responsibility for it.
“Exxon giving up on the Everett site is a major win,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “But this sale will not allow the company to escape responsibility for its toxic legacy of contamination and the ongoing pollution that will continue while the sale is pending. Our case continues and we will not allow the company to skip town and leave the community at risk.”
These polluting products are two sides of the same coin, and Big Oil and Gas are the culprits.
A misleading letter peddled by Big Oil echos the anti-clean energy rhetoric of a supposedly credible source: ISO-New England.
“Once again, Shell is trying every trick in the book to avoid coming clean about its involvement in the climate crisis,” said Darrèll Brown, Vice President of CLF Rhode Island. “It’s long past time for the public to hear the truth about what this big oil giant knew about climate impacts and when they knew it. The court must see through this charade and order the company to release these records so this case can move forward.”
“Judge Wolf saw right through Exxon’s attempts to further delay this case,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The longer this case goes on, the greater chance of a major storm exposing just how vulnerable this facility is, which would be catastrophic for surrounding neighborhoods and for Boston Harbor. This was yet another desperate attempt by Exxon to hide what it knows about the climate crisis.”