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.
Are they going to continue using “fossil” fuels during the lawsuit and after settlement?
“The fund would be used to “avoid, moderate, repair, or adapt to negative impacts caused by climate change”
But climate change causes everything. Including racism.
I want The Burn to be personally responsible for financial damages caused by his Commie Inflation.
Perhaps Vermont should pay for the damage done by Bernard?
Note to fossil fuel companies: stop sending fuel to Vermont.
These people have lost their minds!
I would hope in light of this insanity, the oil companies cut off the state with a terse “Well, you asked for it”.
“Man-made” climate change is a hoax. It was made up to cut down the US in relation to China and others who do not abide by the restrictions and will tower over the US soon.
I hate and despise man-made climate change hoaxers.
I want to live long enough to see them suffer.
U.S. Constitution
Article 1. The Congress shall construct a thermostat to control the temperature of planet earth.
Article 2. Every hour, the Congress shall adjust that thermostat.
Article 3. The Congress shall set the maximum level of the oceans.
Article 4. The Congress shall set the miles per Kilowatt.
Article 5. The Congress shall set the rotational speed of the planet earth.
Article 6. The Congress shall set the size of The Ozone Hole.
Amazing- on what basis- the fuel companies are causing climate to change? Prove that by real science- can’t be done— lawsuits forever, illegal law.
It is a supernatural belief. A religion. They are passing laws requiring you to believe in magic.
Pretty sure they want all they can get up there given the current weather status.
From the Green Mountain Boys to commie bed wetters.
Wonder what it would be like if all fuel companies decided not to sell fossil fuels in Vermont? No heating fuels, auto fuels or diesel! What a hoot collecting damages on zero $!
The oil companies need to sue the azhos back unless they can prove the oil companies actually damaged the environment. If anybody damaged the environment, it the azho “lawmakers” driving around in their vehicles, flying around in their planes, and boating around in their boats.
Good luck collecting on that.
Vermont is full of dumba$$es. My brother-in-law lives there, but he is conservative. I feel sorry for him having to listen to the room-temperature IQ majority. He would move but he has a business there.
Agreed. They are hypocrites for wanting this and still using products made from crude oil, which includes almost everything. Plastics, clothing, you name it. They will have to live in caves.
Do these nuts realize that the Vermont taxpayers pay this in all three scenarios? I suspect they do, but do not care.
They only found the fuel, Vermont residents burned it.
They will need to prove a specific kind of weather event never happened prior to oh... 140 years ago?
That ought to keep the little prog bird brains OODA loop interrupted for a few years.
.
This kind of stuff happens when politicians don’t have a lot to do but virtue signal
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