The act, which New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in December, imposes a $75 billion liability against major fossil fuel companies by requiring them to pay into a state fund based on their past greenhouse gas emissions.
“The iconic New York City skyline was built with the blood, sweat and labor of the men and women of our coalfields — from the steel in their skyscrapers, down to the electricity they use every day. The level of ungratefulness from the elites in New York for the sacrifices that continue to be made to give them the lavish lifestyle they enjoy is beyond the pale,” West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, who is leading the coalition, said in a statement.
The lawsuit argues that the law is unconstitutional and will be devastating to traditional energy producers, leaving them with no other option than to cease operations, resulting in massive job losses.
The civil lawsuit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York’s Albany Division. In addition to the states, several mining, coal and petroleum industry groups signed onto the lawsuit.
“The ‘Climate Change Superfund Act’ is another example of failing, Democrat-controlled states waging an economic civil war on the rest of the country. Let’s call this ‘fund’ what it really is: a craven attempt by New York to grift off the rest of America, spuriously justified by the same ESG ideology that has wrecked their own economy,” Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, said in a statement.[…]
— Read More: justthenews.com
