A county in Oregon has filed a lawsuit against several fossil fuel companies, alleging that they are responsible for the deadly heat wave that hit the Northwest in June 2021.
Multnomah County, which includes Portland, claims that ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and other companies knew about the risks of climate change and deliberately misled the public and policymakers about their role in causing it.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the harm caused by the heat wave, which killed 69 people in the county and shattered temperature records across the region.
The county argues that the fossil fuel companies have violated Oregon’s consumer protection law, public nuisance law and common law negligence by producing and promoting products that contribute to global warming.
The lawsuit is one of several legal actions that have been filed against fossil fuel companies in recent years, seeking to hold them accountable for their contribution to climate change and its impacts.
The fossil fuel companies have not yet responded to the lawsuit, but they have previously denied wrongdoing and challenged similar claims in court.
