The county is seeking more than $1.5 billion in damages from the defendants, which also include Peabody Energy, ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum.
“This lawsuit is about accountability and justice, and I believe the people of Multnomah County deserve both,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “These businesses knew their products were dangerous and harmful and they lied about it. They profited massively from their lies and left the rest of us to suffer the consequences and pay for the damages. We say enough is enough.”
Why it matters: Climate lawsuits are on the rise
It is the latest lawsuit in a growing wave of climate disputes around the world.
This week, landmark case 16 Young shutouts against Montana State. In that lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that Montana, by supporting the fossil fuel industry, violated their rights under the state constitution to a clean and healthy environment.
States and cities across the country have sued fossil fuel companies in recent years, alleging they lied to the public about the dangers of climate change and that extreme weather exacerbated by their emissions has harmed people and property. Those cases — including those brought by attorneys general in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island — continue to wind their way through the courts, and the first could go to trial as early as this year.
The Supreme Court ruled in April that a group of climate lawsuits filed by cities and municipalities should stay in state courtwhere they are expected to have a better chance of winning compensation, rather than federal court, where fossil fuel companies were expected to have the upper hand.
The Oregon case is among the first damages claims related to a specific weather event and the first related to a heat dome. Last year, a group of 16 municipalities in Puerto Rico sued a group of fossil fuel companies over damage caused by a pair of hurricanes in 2017.
Background: The 2021 heat dome was deadly
Scorching heat in the last days of June 2021 surrounded the Pacific Northwest.
In Seattle, known for its rainy winters and relatively cool summers, temperatures reached a record 108 degrees Fahrenheit. At Portland International Airport, the thermostat reached 115 degrees.
In Multnomah County, the consequences were severe. Temperatures reached a record-breaking high of 116 degrees Fahrenheit and resulted in 69 deaths and extensive property damage.