California plans to take big oil companies to court

CALIFORNIA, USA (KION-TV)- The state of California is taking big oil companies to court. That includes places like Exxon, Shell, and Chevron.

There are several reasons why California is suing big oil companies according to state leaders. Some of those include companies knowing for decades the harm in burning fossil fuels, cover ups, and deceiving the public.

The state is asking the courts to have big oil companies pay for the cost of damage they've done to the state.

This includes impact on the environment, human health, and the states' livelihoods. They also want these companies to be prohibited from engaging in further pollution while also being penalized for lying to the public for decades.

The state says doing this could protect against climate change in the future. In a statement talking about the case, State Attorney General Rob Bonta said in part:

“With our lawsuit, California becomes the largest geographic area and the largest economy to take these giant oil companies to court. From extreme heat to drought and water shortages, the climate crisis they have caused is undeniable."

State leaders say that the last 50 years of deception cost California taxpayers billions of dollars in health and environmental impacts.

In statement, Western States Petroleum Association President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said "The record of the past two decades demonstrates that the industry has achieved its goal of providing affordable, reliable American energy to U.S. consumers while substantially reducing emissions and our environmental footprint. The effective climate policy Californians deserve will not come through meritless lawsuits and political stunts.  Demonizing our industry is not climate leadership.”