Young Alaskans are suing the state for allegedly violating their right to a clean environment by championing a massive liquefied natural gas project.
Attorneys for the young people on Wednesday filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the state to stop the Alaska LNG project, a $43 billion undertaking that has been described as one of the largest proposed infrastructure projects in North America.
“The youth bringing this case are already experiencing really deep harm from current levels of climate pollution,” said Andrew Welle, a senior staff attorney for the Oregon-based law firm Our Children’s Trust, which represents the youth.
For some of the young challengers, the lawsuit is a repeat. It comes two years after the Alaska Supreme Court narrowly rejected a prior case brought by 16 young activists who claimed that the state’s support for fossil fuel production contributed to climate change and violated their constitutional rights.
