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4mo ago

DOJ Sues Four States Over Climate Actions Targeting Fossil Fuel Companies

The Justice Department claims state lawsuits and laws violate federal authority under the Clean Air Act and threaten national energy security.

Burned cars and homes in a neighborhood was destroyed by a wildfire on August 18, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii.
FILE - A Department of Justice logo is shown on a podium during a news conference, Sept. 30, 2010, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 21: A seal for the Department of Justice is seen on a podium ahead of a news conference with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Department of Justice Building on March 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. During the news conference, Garland and DOJ officials are expected to make an announcement about ongoing antitrust investigations. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally to mark his 100th day in office, at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, U.S., April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File photo

Overview

  • The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Hawaii, Michigan, New York, and Vermont, challenging their climate-related legal actions against fossil fuel companies.
  • The DOJ argues that these state initiatives are preempted by the federal Clean Air Act and infringe on the U.S. Constitution by exceeding state authority over greenhouse gas regulation and foreign policy.
  • Hawaii and Michigan face lawsuits for planning to sue fossil fuel companies over climate damages, with Hawaii already filing its case on May 1, 2025.
  • New York and Vermont are being challenged over their 'climate superfund' laws, which impose liability on fossil fuel companies, with New York seeking $75 billion in damages.
  • Legal experts criticize the DOJ's unprecedented preemptive lawsuits, calling the move an aggressive tactic to support the fossil fuel industry and undermine states' rights to address climate change.