Middlesex County has filed a lawsuit against several major oil companies, seeking damages for costs county officials say they have incurred because of climate change.
The lawsuit names BP P.L.C., BP America Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., Exxon Oil Corp., Shell PLC and Shell USA Inc., among others. Middlesex joins the State of New Jersey and the City of Hoboken in pursuing climate-related litigation against major oil companies.
County officials say Middlesex has spent hundreds of millions of dollars responding to and recovering from severe storms and flooding over the last several decades.
According to the county Office of Emergency Management and Preparedness, Hurricanes Irene, Sandy and Ida cost approximately $199.4 million, including damage to county property, equipment used during storm responses and compensation for county personnel.
Since 2011, Middlesex has received more than $33.2 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency awards for 184 projects connected to the three storms, while contributing approximately $5 million in required local matching funds.
“This lawsuit is a necessary step forward to help protect our communities from further damage from extreme weather events,” County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios said. “Our residents are not only bearing the costs of damage from flooding and other natural disasters, but also the rising everyday costs of protecting their homes and families from extreme heat and cold.”
Rios said the county is seeking compensation from the companies named in the lawsuit while looking for additional resources to strengthen infrastructure and reduce the impact of future storms.
“We are taking action to seek compensation for those losses and costs from the corporations whose actions are at the center of this lawsuit, while pursuing resources to strengthen our infrastructure, mitigate future damage, and better protect Middlesex County residents,” he said.
Commissioner Leslie Koppel said some communities continue to face the financial and physical consequences of major storms.
“Communities are still dealing with the financial and physical impacts of storms like Ida and Henri,” Koppel said.
The county says it has recorded 60 floods associated with coastal storms and extreme rainfall in recent decades, resulting in more than $500 million in property damage and more than $100 million in flood insurance claims.
Middlesex is particularly vulnerable to flooding because of its geography, with the Raritan River and Raritan Bay bordering 12 of the county’s 25 municipalities.
The lawsuit follows a summer marked by severe heat and flooding in New Jersey. The state Department of Health has estimated that 29 people died during periods of extreme heat that sent temperatures above 100 degrees.
Matt Smith, New Jersey director of Food & Water Watch, said the lawsuit could shift some of the costs associated with extreme weather away from taxpayers.
“As New Jerseyans drive around town looking for gasoline under $4.20 a gallon and while Big Oil reaps record profits, we must pursue lawsuits like Middlesex County filed today, and other accountability measures to ensure taxpayers and our state are protected and get a fair deal,” Smith said.
Christian Estevez, founder of the Latino Action Network, also praised the county’s action.
“Middlesex County is once again showing leadership in fighting for taxpayers,” Estevez said. “These challenges are compounded by the fact that the companies most responsible for climate change are not paying their fair share.”
The county has also launched the Southern Middlesex Flood Mitigation and Resiliency Study, a FEMA-funded regional effort examining recent, nuisance and chronic flooding across southern Middlesex County.
The lawsuit alleges that the conduct of the oil companies contributed to climate-related harms that have imposed substantial costs on Middlesex County and its taxpayers.
