The Trump administration has asked a federal judge to take emergency action to prevent Minnesota from suing the oil and gas industry for contributing to climate change.
In a motion filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the Department of Justice asked for a preliminary injunction to block the lawsuit, arguing the federal government has “suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable harm” without immediate relief from the state’s litigation.
DOJ’s request comes a week after the Trump administration sued Minnesota, arguing that the state’s 2020 lawsuit against fossil fuel producers usurps federal authority and burdens U.S. energy development.
Minnesota’s lawsuit is one of dozens of challenges from state and local governments that want oil and gas companies to foot the bill for the costs of fighting floods, wildfires and other effects of a warming planet. Most of the lawsuits accuse the fossil fuel industry of deceiving the public about the effects of burning fossil fuels, and oil producers have warned the lawsuits — if successful — could cost them billions of dollars.
