Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org
MONTPELIER, VT. -- The Trump administration filed lawsuits against Vermont and three other states this week to try to stop them from holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in damaging the climate and polluting communities.
Trump's Department of Justice announced it's suing Vermont and New York, challenging their climate superfund laws that would force fossil fuel companies to pay into state-based funds based on previous greenhouse gas emissions. The DOJ is also suing Hawaii and Michigan over their plans for legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by climate change.
In response, Sierra Club Vermont Conservation Program Manager Robb Kidd issued the following statement:
“Fossil fuel corporations must be held accountable for their reckless pollution that, for decades, has upended Vermont’s attempts to address the climate crisis. Our state was the first to enact such a Climate Superfund Bill, a necessary response to flooding that has devastated our homes, families, and environments. Now, President Trump’s lawsuit is yet another example of his penchant for putting polluter profits over the health and economic well-being of the American people and our planet. Vermont may be small, but we are committed to making the world's most profitable industries pay for damages caused by continued fossil fuel reliance.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.