Portland City Council will be considering a No Immunity for Big Oil Resolution, sponsored by Councilor Novick and starting with the City Life Committee, scheduled for September 22 (the resolution is called "Support the preservation of court access to protect taxpayers from extreme weather costs"). This is part of a national effort, and relates to the work we've been doing through the Oregon Make Polluters Pay coalition. Unfortunately, there's an effort to preempt such bills at the federal level.

As climate change worsens — caused by big polluting corporations — extreme weather events and their costly consequences pile up. Lawsuits against polluters and bills to recover costs are crucial ways to make polluters pay for the harm they’ve knowingly caused: Hawaii’s recent lawsuit is one example of a successful initiative to hold fossil fuel companies accountable, as well as Make Polluters Pay bills in New York and Vermont.

These corporations have known for decades the damages their polluting is causing and have spent billions of dollars on propaganda to try to hide this from the public and politicians.

Now, they’re lobbying to take away our right to hold them accountable.

The American Petroleum Institute, some attorneys general, and multiple states are attempting to make it illegal for communities to sue polluting corporations for the damage they’ve caused. Big Oil lobbyists are encouraging S. 4340 and H.R. 8330, which would give fossil fuel companies sweeping legal immunity from laws and lawsuits to hold them accountable.

These lawsuits are a vital part of our fight against fossil fuels and work in rebuilding the communities they’ve damaged.

The City of Portland must make the decision to stand against these attempts to reduce accountability by giving fossil fuel companies legal immunity.

Urge Portland City Council to vote yes on the No Immunity for Big Oil Resolution now!

No Immunity for Big Oil organizational co-sponsors:

350PDX, Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, Third Act Oregon, Verde