Supreme Court questions oil companies’ effort to block Boulder climate lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared divided Monday as it considered an effort by ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy to stop a Colorado climate lawsuit before trial, with several justices questioning whether the court could or should intervene at this stage.
Boulder’s city and county governments sued the companies in state court in 2018, alleging they misled the public about the risks of fossil fuels and contributed to climate-related harms. The governments seek damages for costs including infrastructure repairs, emergency management, environmental damage and public-health effects.
The companies argue that federal law preempts claims under Colorado law because interstate air pollution is inherently a federal matter. Their lawyer, Kannon Shanmugam, said the lawsuit improperly seeks to use state law to regulate conduct and emissions worldwide. The Trump administration supported that position, arguing …