Big Oil Sued Over Heatwave that Killed Dozens of People
Multnomah County, Oregon’s most populous county, has filed a lawsuit against several major fossil fuel companies, including Shell, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Koch Industries, and ExxonMobil, seeking over $51 billion in damages. The county alleges that the companies’ carbon pollution played a significant role in causing a deadly heat dome event in 2021 that claimed 69 lives. The lawsuit aims to hold the companies accountable for their environmental damage and seeks funds for current and future costs associated with extreme heat events and climate change mitigation measures.
