Multnomah County Scores Court Win in Lawsuit Against Big Oil
Portland, OR – Multnomah County’s $51 billion climate lawsuit against major fossil fuel companies and industry trade associations can proceed.
On Monday, a Multnomah County Judge tossed out 19 of 20 dismissal motions, clearing the way for a trial. The county accuses the industry of a decades-long deception campaign over climate change that sparked deadly local events, including the Pacific Northwest heat dome.
“During the heat dome event of 2021, we saw 69 people die in Multnomah County, and 123 people die across Oregon,” Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
“Not doing something about this is not an option,” Vega Pederson continued.
When the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners authorized the lawsuit in June of 2023, Vega Pederson said Exxon Mobil and other fuel companies should be held liable for the real and measurable impacts of climate events on the county’s most vulnerable residents.
The county’s claims for public nuisance, negligence, fraud, and trespass will move forward under Oregon law.