Multnomah County, home to Portland, has added NW Natural, the state’s largest natural gas utility, to its $51.5 billion climate lawsuit targeting fossil fuel companies for their role in the deadly 2021 heat dome event. The lawsuit, originally filed last year, alleges that carbon emissions from these companies contributed to the heatwave, which set temperature records across the Pacific Northwest and resulted in around 800 deaths in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
The amended complaint, filed this week, names NW Natural alongside major oil corporations like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell, accusing the utility of contributing significantly to Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions and misleading the public about the harmful impacts of these emissions.
NW Natural responded, stating it could not comment extensively until it reviews the claims but plans to vigorously defend itself, calling the new accusations an attempt to shift focus from legal issues in the case.
This marks the first time a natural gas utility has been included in a lawsuit accusing fossil fuel companies of climate deception, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Over two dozen similar lawsuits have been filed by state, local, and tribal governments across the US.
The amended lawsuit also adds the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, a group that opposes the idea of human-caused global warming, to the list of defendants. The County is seeking damages to cover the costs of mitigating the effects of extreme heat, wildfires, and drought.
County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson emphasised the need to strengthen safety measures, citing the ongoing costs to the community’s health, finances, and lives due to the climate crisis.
“We’re already paying dearly in Multnomah County for our climate crisis — with our tax dollars, with our health and with our lives. Going forward we have to strengthen our safety net just to keep people safe,” Pederson said.
She added, “This lawsuit is about accountability and fairness, and I believe the people of Multnomah County deserve both. These businesses knew their products were unsafe and harmful, and they lied about it. They have profited massively from their lies and left the rest of us to suffer the consequences and pay for the damages. We say enough is enough.”
While ExxonMobil has dismissed the lawsuit as not addressing climate change, and Chevron called the claims baseless, Shell reiterated its commitment to reducing emissions but maintained that climate change should be addressed through policy, not the courts.
The case is currently pending in the Multnomah County Circuit Court.