Maui sues oil companies over role in climate change

Maui County has become the latest local government to go to court seeking compensation and other damages from the oil industry for climate change-related problems caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Maui joins Honolulu and at least 21 states, counties and local governments in filing lawsuits against fossil fuel companies for rising costs and impacts related to deleterious greenhouse gases.

“Maui County taxpayers should not be left to bear the staggering costs of climate change impacts,” Mayor Michael Victorino said in a news release. “We are seeking relief in state court to hold big oil companies accountable for their decades-long disinformation campaign to keep the public in the dark over the climate crisis.”

The complaint, filed last week in Maui Circuit Court, claims 20 oil companies — among them Chevron, BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil — knew the harm they were causing for decades but essentially covered it up. The suit, which also names Aloha Petroleum and BHP Hawaii Inc., seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

The City and County of Honolulu filed a similar complaint against eight oil companies in March. Other suits have been filed by Baltimore; Oakland, Calif.; San Francisco; Massachusetts; Minnesota; and Rhode Island, among other communities.

Like the Honolulu suit, there are no upfront costs because legal fees will go to outside attorneys from a San Francisco law firm only if there is an award of damages through a court victory or settlement.

“Maui County is vulnerable to rising sea levels, with four islands and nearly 300 miles of coastline,” Victorino said. “We see the impacts of climate change every day with chronic drought and more intense and sustained heat waves turning our open spaces into wildfire tinderboxes. Worsening coastal erosion threatens shoreline structures, miles of coastal roads and infrastructure.”

Victorino added, “Fossil fuel companies have known their products damage the environment and could have taken steps to warn people and reduce damage. Instead, they promoted and marketed their products, all the while protecting their own assets. Erosion and wave action could wipe out miles of Honoapiilani Highway, a lifeline for motorists to get to and from homes, resorts and businesses in West Maui.”

Phil Goldberg, special counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, a project of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action, said Maui’s lawsuit does nothing to advance solutions to climate change and will only make oil, gas and other energy staples more expensive.

“Filing a bunch of these lawsuits is a political strategy by a handful of environmental advocates trying to scapegoat energy manufacturers when, in reality, fighting climate change is a global challenge that requires collaboration and innovation to overcome. Manufacturers, including those in the energy industry, are focused on the fight against climate change every day and are investing major resources in developing ways to source and use energy more efficiently,” Goldberg said.