XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.fan.states.vermont, alt.global-warming
XPost: or.politics, sac.politics

Vermont has become the first state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by climate change after
the state suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other
extreme weather.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law without his
signature late Thursday, saying he is very concerned about the costs and outcome of the small state taking on “Big Oil” alone in what will likely
be a grueling legal fight. But he acknowledged that he understands
something has to be done to address the toll of climate change.

“I understand the desire to seek funding to mitigate the effects of
climate change that has hurt our state in so many ways,” Scott, a
moderate Republican in the largely blue state of Vermont, wrote in a
letter to lawmakers.

Scott, a popular governor who recently announced that he’s running for reelection to a fifth two-year term, has been at odds with the Democrat-controlled Legislature, which he has called out of balance. He
was expected by environmental advocates to veto the bill but then
allowed it to be enacted. Scott wrote to lawmakers that he was comforted
that the Agency of Natural Resources is required to report back to the Legislature on the feasibility of the effort.

Last July’s flooding from torrential rains inundated Vermont’s capital
city of Montpelier, the nearby city Barre, some southern Vermont
communities and ripped through homes and washed away roads around the
rural state. Some saw it as the state’s worst natural disaster since a
1927 flood that killed dozens of people and caused widespread
destruction. It took months for businesses — from restaurants to shops —
to rebuild, losing out on their summer and even fall seasons. Several
have just recently reopened while scores of homeowners were left with flood-ravaged homes heading into the cold season.

Under the legislation, the Vermont state treasurer, in consultation with
the Agency of Natural Resources, would provide a report by Jan. 15,
2026, on the total cost to Vermonters and the state from the emission of greenhouse gases from Jan. 1, 1995, to Dec. 31, 2024. The assessment
would look at the affects on public health, natural resources,
agriculture, economic development, housing and other areas. The state
would use federal data to determine the amount of covered greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a fossil fuel company.

It’s a polluter-pays model affecting companies engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil attributable to
more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the
time period. The funds could be used by the state for such things as
upgrading stormwater drainage systems; upgrading roads, bridges and
railroads; relocating, elevating or retrofitting sewage treatment
plants; and making energy efficient weatherization upgrades to public
and private buildings. It’s modeled after the federal Superfund
pollution cleanup program.

“For too long, giant fossil fuel companies have knowingly lit the match
of climate disruption without being required to do a thing to put out
the fire,” Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said in a statement. “Finally, maybe for the first time anywhere, Vermont is going to hold the companies most responsible for climate-driven floods, fires and heat waves financially accountable for
a fair share of the damages they’ve caused.”

Maryland, Massachusetts and New York are considering similar measures.

The American Petroleum Institute, the top lobbying group for the oil and
gas industry, has said it’s extremely concerned the legislation “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.” It also said in a letter to lawmakers before
the bill became law that the measure does not provide notice to
potential affected businesses about the size of the potential fees.

Vermont lawmakers know the state will face legal challenges, but the
governor worries about the costs and what it means for other states if
Vermont fails.

State Rep. Martin LaLonde, a Democrat and an attorney, believes Vermont
has a solid legal case. Legislators worked closely with many legal
scholars in crafting the bill, he said in statement.

“Most importantly, the stakes are too high – and the costs too steep for Vermonters – to release corporations that caused the mess from their obligation to help clean it up,” he said.

Deer petroleum companies.

Vermont depends heavily on agriculture.

Help them out.

Ban all gasoline, motor oil, diesel and heating oil product sales to
Vermont and first boundary surrounding states.

https://apnews.com/article/vermont-climate-change-superfund-oil-companies-b6565729f23e85eed4d3da44b04ae2e5

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)