Rhode Island sues major oil companies over climate change
Source: Reuters
ENVIRONMENT JULY 2, 2018 / 2:02 PM / UPDATED 27 MINUTES AGO
Rhode Island sues major oil companies over climate change
Nate Raymond
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - Rhode Island on Monday sued several major oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp and BP plc, accusing them of contributing to climate change that is damaging infrastructure and coastal communities in the state.
The lawsuit announced by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin was the first by a state seeking to hold oil companies responsible for costs associated with climate change and followed similar cases by several local governments nationally.
The lawsuit alleged that various oil companies had created a public nuisance in the state and failed to adequately warn customers, consumers and regulators about the risks posed by their products.
“For a very long time, there has been this perception that ‘Big Oil’ was too big to take on, but here we are - the smallest state - taking on some of the biggest corporate polluters in the world,” Kilmartin said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed in Providence County Superior Court, named as defendants Exxon, BP, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and Chevron Corp, among other companies.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-climatechange-rhode-island/rhode-island-sues-major-oil-companies-over-climate-change-idUSKBN1JS28M
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