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Charleston gets early win in climate change lawsuit vs. ‘Big Oil’
By Clare Fieseler cfieseler@postandcourier.com
Jul 8, 2023
"A federal judge has given the city of Charleston an early win in its climate change lawsuit against '#BigOil' by ruling the case will stay in #SouthCarolina, where the city wants the issue fought.
"U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel agreed on July 5 that Charleston’s bid seeking to make #FossilFuel companies pay for #climate damages could proceed in state court, where it was initially filed.
"City officials welcomed the decision, which some legal experts say creates a more favorable stage in arguing that the multiple #oil and #gas companies which have operated in the U.S. for decades knew of the #environmentally #hazardous affects of their products.
"'We agree wholeheartedly with him,' said Chloe Field, a city spokeswoman. 'It is time to move towards trial in the Court of Common Pleas where we filed this case nearly three years ago.'
"In 2020, the city of Charleston filed the lawsuit against two dozen major #oil and #pipeline companies, alleging their products and the spread of misinformation about #FossilFuels have caused #ClimateChange leading to repetitive and disastrous #flooding in the city.
"Nationwide, almost two dozen state and local governments are pursuing similar litigation against oil companies seeking climate-related damages. The only government in the South to file such a case is the city of Charleston."