Vermont Makes Big Oil Pay for Climate Change Damage in Landmark Law

The state of Vermont has just enacted a law that would take on oil companies to require them to pay for damage caused by their emissions, in a first such legislation in a U.S. state.  The bill, S.259, ‘An act relating to climate change cost recovery,’ became law without the signature of Vermont’s Republican Governor Philip B.

Scott.  The law stipulates that Vermont’s state treasurer, in consultation with the Agency of Natural Resources, assess the total cost to Vermonters and the state from the emission…