Attorneys General From California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington State and the US Virgin Islands Agree To Coordinate Efforts
Citing climate change as one of the most consequential issue facing the country, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that Rhode Island has joined an unprecedented coalition of 17 top law enforcement officials to protect and expand progress the nation has made in combating climate change.
The states are exploring working together on key investigations, such as ongoing or any potential investigations into whether fossil fuel companies misled investors and the public on the impact of climate change on their businesses.
Many of the states in the coalition have previously worked together to protect our nation's air quality and fight against the effects of global climate change, including suing the EPA to force initial regulation of emissions of greenhouse gases from vehicles, refineries, and fossil-fueled electric power plants,; defending federal rules controlling climate change emissions from large industrial facilities,; and pushing for federal controls on emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from the oil and natural gas industry.
All of the members of the new coalition are part a coalition of 25 states, cities and counties that intervened to defend the federal Environmental Protection Agency's "Clean Power Plan" against legal challenge. Today, the interveners filed a brief to the DC Circuit Court in support of President Obama's Clean Power Plan rule, which requires fossil-fueled power plants, the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, to cut their emissions pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
"Washington is mired by political gridlock. We cannot sit back and watch the dysfunction while nothing gets done, or worse, Washington rolls back the progress we have made in the recent past to address the issue of climate change. If Washington is not going to step up and recognize the crisis and find meaningful solutions, then it will be up to the states to do so," said Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. "As a state that will incur significant negative impacts from global climate change, including sea-level rise and increased flooding, Rhode Island is committed to continuing the fight for common-sense regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other large emitters."
Attorneys from the Environmental Advocacy Unit within the Office of Attorney General attended a workshop and press conference in New York City today where several attorneys general from the coalition joined former Vice President Al Gore to announce the coordinated efforts of all 17 states.