Exxon's Everett, MA terminal. Photo: Alex Maclean
April 17, 2020 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has appealed a recent decision that paused its case against ExxonMobil. CLF’s case argues Exxon is putting neighborhoods at risk by not preparing its Everett, MA terminal for flooding and storms associated with the climate crisis. A judge decided to postpone the case until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues the facility a new permit.
“The communities surrounding this facility cannot wait for the EPA to dig through a mountain of backlogged permits to feel safe,” said Bradley Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “And waiting for a major storm to expose the vulnerability of the terminal is also not an option. This case needs to move forward now so Exxon is forced to prepare for the impacts the climate crisis will have on this facility. The health of thousands of its neighbors depends on it.”
CLF’s lawsuit alleges that ongoing spills and pollution at ExxonMobil’s Everett Terminal and Exxon’s failure to address current and imminent climate risks at the facility – risks its own scientists have warned of for decades – are unlawful under the federal Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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