Bonta joins case against oil companies’ climate claims

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — In a brief filed on March 7, 18 attorneys general including California’s Rob Bonta showed their joint support for the District of Columbia in its case arguing that “for decades, (oil) companies waged a public misinformation campaign about human-caused climate change despite knowing — including from the fuel industry’s own research — that burning fossil fuels would have significant negative environmental consequences.”

Later, according to the complaint, “the companies changed tack, deceitfully presenting themselves to the public as leaders in alternative energy sources and misrepresenting their products’ environmental impacts.” .

KENNETH SONG /NEWS-PRESS

Attorney General Rob Bonta

“Big Oil has relied on deceptive tactics to mislead consumers about the harms of fossil fuel use,” said Attorney General Bonta. The case brought by the District of Columbia against ExxonMobile, BP, Chevron and Shell is in local court though the companies have tried to move it to federal court.

“Today’s filing sends a strong message to corporations looking to fill their pockets at the expense of the health and well-being of the American people. We ask the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals to protect American families and future generations by allowing the case to proceed in state court,” Attorney General Bonta said.

“Prevention of unfair and deceptive business practices is an area traditionally regulated by the States,” the brief noted. “All federal courts of appeals that have considered the defendant oil companies’ removal arguments

TRAFFIC, CRIME & FIRE BLOTTER

(and those of their state amici) have rejected those arguments, and this Court should do the same.”

It also explained that the case does not fall under federal common law because the D.C. court does not seek to hold the companies liable for causing climate change, but for making false or deceptive representations to D.C. consumers about the effect of burning fossil fuels and about the companies’ investments in alternative energy sources.

The California attorney general said, “At the California Department of Justice, we will use the full force of the law to ensure Big Oil plays by the rules and is held liable for deceiving the public and exacerbating our climate crisis.”

Letitia James, attorney general for the state of New York, led the amicus brief.

WENDY McCAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Publisher

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER . . . . .Co-Publisher

YOLANDA APODACA . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations

DAVE MASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor

HOW TO REACH US . . .

MAIN OFFICE 715 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 93101..805-564-5200

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102

News Hotline 805-564-5277

HOW TO GET US . . .

CIRCULATION ISSUES 805-966-7171 refunds@newspress.com newsubscriptions@newspress.com vacationholds@newspress.com cancellations@newspress.com

Fire

at Lompoc school

LOMPOC — Crews responded to a fire alarm activation Sunday at Hapgood Elementary School,

324 S. A Street, Lompoc. First responders arrived at 5:40 a.m. The first arriving crew saw smoke showing from a single-story building. Crews made access and found it was an exterior fire that had extended to the building.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Lompoc Police Department and an AMR medic unit all responded with Lompoc Fire Department units. The fire was controlled, and crews were able to confine the fire to the exterior and one classroom. The fire is still under investigation.

— Katherine Zehnder