Three environmental groups have sued Maine, saying it failed to act on climate change.
That comes as the state marks Earth Day and after a winter that saw intense storms batter the state from end to end.
The lawsuit, which the Conservation Law Foundation, Maine Youth Action and Sierra Club filed against the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, says that the state is failing to act on a 2019 statutory goal to reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent of 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
“Climate change isn’t waiting, it’s rapidly warming our ocean, worsening our weather, killing our fisheries, and robbing us of winter,” said Emily K. Green, a senior attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation in Maine. “The state needs to follow its own laws and commit to cutting carbon pollution from cars, buildings and energy systems — which is why we’ve filed suit.”
In announcing the lawsuit, the groups said that climate change poses a growing threat to Maine’s coast, with many working waterfronts and communities experiencing severe devastation during twin January storms and the prospect of more sea-level rise.
“Our leaders need to uphold their duty to protect Maine residents’ health, environment, and livelihoods from the worst effects of climate change,” said Matthew Cannon, the state conservation and energy director for Sierra Club’s Maine Chapter. “The law is clear — we need regulatory action to prevent climate change now.”
The groups pointed to delays in building offshore wind turbines and plans to build more roads, as well as a recent decision by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection, a unit of the Department of Environmental Protection, to reject clean car standards.
That board voted 4-2 in March against implementing the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which would have phased out most gas-powered car sales by 2032. While the rule didn’t go as far as California, where regulators plan to completely end the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, it met with fierce resistance. The board said that the matter should be settled by the Legislature.
“Our generation will inherit a state overwhelmed by carbon emissions and climate change — with damage to the environment, to marine life, and to our own health — if we can’t start making these changes now,” said Cole Cochrane, co-founder and policy director of Maine Youth Action. “Five years is too long without significant actions. Maine is breaking the law.”
Maine Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson David Medore said the department and board do not comment on pending litigation.