Posted on 04/04/2024 5:45:54 PM PDT by Twotone
The Vermont Senate voted 21-5 on Friday to advance the Climate Superfund Act, which would force fossil fuel companies to pay into a fund covering weather event-related damages.
If passed into law, Senate Bill 259 would create a "Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program" to finance "climate change adaptive or resilience infrastructure projects" in Vermont.
"Under the Program, an entity or a successor in interest to an entity that was engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019 would be assessed a cost recovery demand for the entity's share of fossil fuel extraction or refinement contributing to greenhouse gas-related costs in Vermont. An entity would only be assessed a cost recovery demand if the Agency determined that the entity's products were responsible for more than one billion metric tons of covered greenhouse gas emissions," the bill read.
The fund would be used to "avoid, moderate, repair, or adapt to negative impacts caused by climate change," such as "implementing nature-based solutions and flood protections; upgrading stormwater drainage systems; making defensive upgrades to roads, bridges, railroads, and transit systems; preparing for and recovering from extreme weather events; undertaking preventive health care programs and providing medical care to treat illness or injury caused by the effects of climate change."
Additionally, the program would cover the costs of relocating sewage treatment plants, installing cooling systems in public and private buildings, upgrading that state's electrical grid, addressing toxic algae blooms, and managing the loss of topsoil.
The legislation is sponsored by Sens. Anne Watson (D), Dick Sears Jr. (D), Christopher Bray (D), and 17 other Democratic senators.
According to Sears, the legislation is "built on the long-standing principle that the polluter pays," Mountain Times reported.
"The damage that fossil fuels are causing in our communities continues to grow, with flooding in the last year alone resulting in massive costs to our state," Sears claimed.
Sen. Nader Hashim (D) told lawmakers on Friday, "In order to remedy the problems created by washed out roads, downed electrical wires, damaged crops and repeated flooding, the largest fossil fuel entities that have contributed to climate change should also contribute to fixing the problem that they caused."
"We can place the burden on Vermont taxpayers or we can keep our fingers crossed that the federal government will help us or we can have fossil fuel companies pay their fair share," Hashim said.
Under the legislation, the Vermont state treasurer would provide a report detailing the cost imposed on residents as a result of the "emission of greenhouse gases for the period that began on January 1, 2000 and ended on December 31, 2019." The report would assess the impact of fossil fuels on public health, natural resources, agriculture, economic development, and flood preparedness.
The American Petroleum Institute stated that it opposes the bill and shared objections to the legislation in a letter to the state Senate last week, the Associated Press reported.
The group is concerned that the bill "retroactively imposes costs and liability on prior activities that were legal, violates equal protection and due process rights by holding companies responsible for the actions of society at large; and is preempted by federal law."
"Additionally, the bill does not provide potentially impacted parties with notice as to the magnitude of potential fees that can result from its passage," the API added.
Similar bills have also been introduced in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York.
ExxonMobil did not respond to the AP's request for comment.
Pretty obvious that they must smoke a lot of dope up there.... They’re utter morons.
Their actions are no more than a fascist utopia.
These smooth brain lefty losers are self-loathing nitwits of the first degree. Hopefully, they will “end it all” for the good of society.
If this is enshrined as legal I would pull all deliveries of any fossil fuel from the state. If some other energy company wants to pay the freight of this be that could do so.
If I was the CEO of any of the oil companies, I would refuse to sell our products in Vermont.
scumbags against this country
How about China pay for the damage caused by COVID
I do wonder how the appetite would be for that if the oil companies, in response, simply pulled out of Vermont entirely. Shutter all the gas stations, forbid sales to Vermont, and let the politicians figure out how they’ll power everything.
Would serve a couple of different experiments. First to test the will of these morons who pass these ridiculous laws, but also just what happens when the power source goes to zero flat all at once.
vermont is a tiny market, so their best bet is for all the petro energy suppliers to simply pull out lock, stock, and barrel ...
I can make it through VT to and from NH to NY on a tank, so at least there will be less traffic.
The "media" and "scientists" have chosen to ignore this as it doesn't fit their agenda.
The extra moisture that hits land then evaporates and continues the cycle for some period of time.
All the oil companies have to do is bring this up and they should win.
If they don't, cut off Vermont.
The oil companies need to make the Vermontsters pay. Don’t send any petroleum products to Vermont. This is the way the commie turd rollers destroy capitalism while making their own asses rich at the same time. Screw Vermontnam.
The gringos shouldn’t fall for this unless the Messicans pay for damages caused by el niño y la niña.
Good question. The TOTALITARIAN “lawmakers” should cease using any fossil fuels. Make it a law.
This is the “Live enslaved and die miserably” state?
>Note to fossil fuel companies: stop sending fuel to Vermont.<
Vermont is treading on thin ice. The state is likely a very. very small percentage of revenue for these targeted oil companies. The revenue is also likely smaller than the cost of the new extortion tax.
EC
Vermont’s public pensions funds need topping up...?
Medicaid bill going up exponentially...?
This ain’t really about protecting the earth, is it...
Sounds to me these lawmakers aren’t thinking that energy companies won’t just desert that dumbass state entirely. No gas stations, no refining - no nothing. Just pick up and leave to do business elsewhere. Talk about food deserts? How about ‘gas desert’ for an entire state. Vermont can take its “Freedom and Unity” and stick it.
H.P. Lovecraft, in his horror stories of 100 years ago considered Vermont to be a backwoods hillbilly redneck area of New England.
No wonder Bernie Sanders does so well there.
:Biden works for China:
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