The Trump administration sueded Michigan to stop a planned climate change lawsuit
The Trump administration sued Michigan to stop it from suing oil companies for their role in climate change. They claimed that the Democratic-led Michigan was blocking domestic energy production.
In a late-night lawsuit filed in Michigan, the U.S. Department of Justice said that the state's intention to sue would have an "extraordinary extraterritorial scope" and undermine federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions as well as the administration's goals for foreign policy.
The state hasn't filed the lawsuit yet. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is a Democrat. In October, she said that the state wanted to receive proposals from law firms for representation in climate-change litigation.
In recent years, a number of Democratic-led states filed similar lawsuits accusing companies such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell and BP of misleading the public regarding the role fossil fuels played in causing global warming.
The unusual preemptive suit follows a promise made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during his campaign for the 2024 elections to "stop the current of frivolous lawsuits from environmental extremists."
In the lawsuit, the Justice Department cites a Jan. 20, 2017 executive order Trump issued declaring an energy emergency in an effort to expedite the permitting of energy projects. It also rolled back environmental protections and withdrawn the U.S.
The Justice Department stated that "as a consequence of state restrictions and burdens placed on energy production, American consumers are paying more and the United States has less ability to defend itself against hostile foreign actors."
The administration said that Michigan's announcement in October of its intention to sue the fossil fuel industry was a barrier to the administration's efforts at boosting the domestic energy supply.
The lawsuit stated that "the Constitution and laws of this Nation do not permit such interference."
Nessel's Office did not respond immediately to a comment request.
In similar lawsuits, state and local governments accused energy companies for hiding from the public the fact that burning fossils fuels will lead to climate changes. The companies deny any wrongdoing.
After years of litigation, many cases are still in the early stages. This is despite the fact that oil companies have been suing the states in state courts rather than in federal court.
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an attempt by 19 Republican-led States, led by Alabama to prevent five Democratic-led States from bringing such lawsuits. The Republican-led state's claims were similar to those of the Justice Department. (Reporting and editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Franklin Paul, and Nate Raymond)
(source: Reuters)
