Annapolis Sues Gas Companies, Seeks Damages For Climate Change

ANNAPOLIS, MD —The City of Annapolis filed a lawsuit against dozens of fossil fuel companies on Monday, Mayor Gavin Buckley announced in a Tuesday press release. The suit hopes to hold Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, the American Petroleum Institute and more than 20 other gasoline companies accountable for the effects of climate change.

The case alleges that the businesses knew about the risks of greenhouse gasses but didn't do anything to solve the problem. Specifically, the filing accuses the corporations of:

• Public nuisance
• Private nuisance
• Negligence
• Failure to warn
• Trespass
• Violations of Maryland's Consumer Protection Act

"Fossil fuel companies knew the danger, concealed their knowledge, and reaped the profits," Buckley said in the release. "It is time we held them accountable."

Climate change poses current and looming threats to the city, the lawsuit claims. Some of the direct impacts named are:

• Flooding and loss of city property
• Flooding of historic properties, private properties and businesses
• Loss of tax revenue from flooded areas
• Destruction of city infrastructure
• Increased costs of maintaining infrastructure
• Increased costs of planning and preparing to adapt to the effects of climate change

As a sea-level city, Annapolis has already felt the effects of climate destabilization. The release indicated that City Dock flooded 65 times in 2019. By 2040, the write-up predicted that the city could experience 350 flood days each year.

"This lawsuit is all about accountability and determining who should pay the high costs of dealing with climate change," Buckley added. "Annapolis residents and businesses pay the price for the damage inflicted on our infrastructure due to increased flooding caused by sea level rise."

The suit is filed in the Circuit Court of Anne Arundel County.

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