FERNDALE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The daughter of a Ferndale woman who died in the 2021 heatwave is suing Big Oil for its role in changing the climate.
The likely first-of-its-kind suit was filed in King County Superior Court on Thursday and claims seven oil and gas companies contributed to extreme heat that killed the woman.
It names Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, BP and BP subsidiary Olympic Pipeline Company as defendants.
The lawsuit stems from the Pacific Northwest heat wave that killed 65-year-old Juliana Leon in June 2021.
According to the New York Times, court filings state Leon had driven from her home in Ferndale to a doctor’s appointment in Seattle when temperatures had risen above 100 degrees for the third day in a row. Her car’s air conditioning wasn’t working and she pulled over to park her car on the way back, but was later found unconscious behind the wheel and died of overheating.
The lawsuit accuses the companies of hiding, downplaying and misrepresenting the risks of climate change caused by humans burning oil and gas and obstructing research.
Chevron Corporation counsel Theodore Boutrous Jr. said in a statement, “Exploiting a personal tragedy to promote politicized climate tort litigation is contrary to law, science, and common sense. The court should add this far-fetched claim to the growing list of meritless climate lawsuits that state and federal courts have already dismissed.”
According to the Washington State Department of Health, there were 100 heat-related deaths in Washington during the hottest week of 2021.
