NATIONAL NEWS – Justice Department sues Hawaii and Michigan over potential fossil fuel lawsuit

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The U.S. Justice Department filed new lawsuits  on Wednesday against the states of Hawaii and Michigan over their plans to take legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by climate change. Their lawsuit is based on the claim that the state’s actions conflict with federal government authority and President Trump’s energy dominance agenda. The lawsuits have been deemed unprecedented by legal experts and mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work. This raises concerns over states’ ability to retain climate action power without federal opposition. In court filings, the DOJ said that the Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to regulate air emissions and “creates a comprehensive program for regulating air pollution in the United States and ‘displaces’ the ability of states to regulate greenhouse gas emissions beyond their borders.” 

The DOJ argues that both Hawaii and Michigan are violating the intent of the act that enables the EPA to set national standards for greenhouse gases, citing the states’ pending litigation against oil and gas companies for alleged climate damage.