Maine becomes latest US state to sue oil companies over climate change

NEW YORK -- Maine has become the latest US state to sue oil and gas companies over climate change, claiming that Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron and other giants waged a decades-long campaign to conceal the effects of fossil fuels and contributed to the extreme weather that has pummeled the state in recent years, according to local media reports.

"The lawsuit accuses the companies of having withheld what they knew about the consequences of fossil fuel use since the 1960s, leading to a financial burden on the state as it contends with sea-level rise, storms and warmer temperatures," said The New York Times in its report about the development.

The complaint, filed on Tuesday in a Maine state court, included seven alleged violations, including failure to warn, negligence, nuisance, trespass and unfair trade practices. It also named the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, which the lawsuit alleges "aided and abetted" deceptive conduct by the fossil fuel companies.

"For over half a century, these companies chose to fuel profits instead of following their science to prevent what are now likely irreversible, catastrophic climate effects," said Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey. "In so doing, they burdened the State and our citizens with the consequences of their greed and deception."

The state said in the filing that it was seeking a jury trial and funding for past damage as well as for climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience measures in Maine.

More than 20 states, tribes, cities, and counties have brought similar climate deception lawsuits to date, including the states of New Jersey, California, Delaware, Minnesota, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia, according to the Office of the Maine Attorney General.