Description: City of Baltimore lawsuit seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for climate change impacts.
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Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. BP p.l.c.
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Amicus brief filed by National League of Cities et al. in support of plaintiff-appellee and affirmance. Amicus Briefs Filed in Support of Remand. Seven amicus briefs were filed in support of Baltimore. Amicus parties included (1) three organizations representing the interests of local governments; (2) a group of scholars and scientists “with strong interests, education, and experience in the environment and the science of climate change, with particular interest in public information and communication about climate change and how the public and public leaders learn about and understand climate change,” along with organizations that advocate for climate change policies; (3) Natural Resources Defense Council; (4) a group of climate scientists and scholars that submitted a brief to assist the court with its “understanding of the relevant science and the unavoidable adaptation expenses … communities are facing”; (5) nine states; (6) Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Edward Markey; and (7) Public Citizen, which expressed concern about improper invocation of removal jurisdiction. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed in support of plaintiff-appellee and affirmance by amici curiae Robert Brulle et al. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed in support of plaintiff-appellee and affirmance by amici curiae Mario Molina et al. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed in support of plaintiff-appellee and affirmance by amicus curiae Natural Resources Defense Council. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed in support of appellees and affirmance by amicus curiae Public Citizen, Inc. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed by states as amici curiae supporting plaintiff-appellee. 09/03/2019 Amicus Brief Download Brief filed in support of appellees and affirmance by amici curiae Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Edward J. Markey. 08/27/2019 Brief Download Response brief filed. Baltimore Said Fourth Circuit Should Reject Appeal of Remand Order in Climate Case. On August 27, 2019, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (Baltimore) filed a brief arguing that the Fourth Circuit should reject oil and gas companies’ appeal of a district court’s order remanding Baltimore’s climate change lawsuit to state court. Baltimore argued that the appellate court only had jurisdiction to consider the companies’ argument that the federal-officer removal statute provided jurisdiction; Baltimore further argued that the district court correctly rejected this basis for removal. In addition, Baltimore contended that the district court properly rejected the companies’ other asserted grounds for removal. 08/23/2019 Reply Download Reply filed by defendants in support of motion for stay pending appeal. 08/16/2019 Opposition Download Opposition to stay pending appeal filed by plaintiff-appellee. 08/09/2019 Motion Download Motion for stay pending appeal filed by defendant.s 08/02/2019 Amicus Brief Download Amicus brief filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in support of appellants and reversal. 07/29/2019 Brief Download Opening brief filed by appellants. Briefing began in the Fourth Circuit on oil and gas companies' appeal of an order remanding Baltimore's climate change case against them to state court. The companies filed their opening brief on July 29, 2019. They argued that the Fourth Circuit has jurisdiction to consider their appeal and that Baltimore’s claims were properly removed on multiple grounds. Baltimore’s response brief is due by August 27, 2019, and any reply brief is due within 21 days of service of the response brief. -
Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. BP p.l.c.
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 07/31/2019 Memorandum Download Defendants' motion for stay denied. Maryland Federal Court Declined to Stay Remand Order in Baltimore’s Climate Case Against Oil and Gas Companies; Stay to Remain in Place While Companies Seek Stay in Fourth Circuit. On July 31, 2019, the federal district court for the District of Maryland denied oil and gas companies’ motion for a stay of the June 10 remand order returning the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore’s (Baltimore’s) climate change lawsuit to state court. The companies had sought to stay the remand order until the Fourth Circuit resolves their appeal. Instead, a stay agreed to by Baltimore will remain in place pending the resolution of the companies’ anticipated motion for a stay in the Fourth Circuit. Although the district court agreed with the companies that removal of the case based on application of federal law raised “complex and unsettled” legal questions, the court concluded that appellate jurisdiction in this case would likely extend only to the issue of whether the case was properly removed under the federal officer removal statute, an issue on which the court concluded the companies had not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success. The court further found that the companies had not demonstrated irreparable harm since the appeal would only be rendered moot in the event a state court entered final judgment before the appeal was resolved. The court also was not persuaded that the cost of litigating in state court would cause irreparable injury and disagreed with the companies’ contention that federal courts were “uniquely qualified” to address the issues presented in the case. Regarding the harm to the opposing party and weighing the public interest, the district court found that the impacts of further delay of litigation on the merits of Baltimore’s claims weighed against a stay. The court also noted that even if the remand order were vacated, interim proceedings in state court “may well advance” the case’s resolution in federal court. 07/22/2019 Reply Download Reply filed by defendants in support of their motion to extend the stay pending appeal. 07/08/2019 Response Download Opposition filed by plaintiff to defendants' motion to extend the stay pending appeal. 06/24/2019 Order Download Consent order so-ordered. 06/23/2019 Motion Download Memorandum of law filed in support of defendants' motion to extend the stay pending appeal. 06/23/2019 Stipulation Download Joint stipulation and proposed consent order filed to extend the current temporary stay of the execution of the remand order. 06/20/2019 Memorandum Opinion Download Memorandum opinion issued for publication. 06/13/2019 Notice of Appeal Download Notice of appeal filed. 06/10/2019 Memorandum Opinion Download Motion to remand granted; execution of remand order stayed for 30 days as stipulated by the parties. Federal Court Said Baltimore’s Climate Case Against Oil and Gas Companies Belonged in State Court. The federal district court for the District of Maryland remanded the City of Baltimore’s climate change lawsuit against oil and gas companies to state court. The court concluded that federal question jurisdiction did not exist and also rejected alternative bases for federal jurisdiction. First, the court rejected the defendants’ argument that federal common law governed Baltimore’s state law nuisance claim as a “cleverly veiled preemption argument.” The court said ordinary preemption was merely a defense and did not permit it to treat the claim as if it had been pleaded under federal law for jurisdictional purposes. The court further concluded that federal common law would not support removal even under the complete preemption doctrine because the defendants had not shown that any federal common law claim for public nuisance was available and case law suggested that the Clean Air Act displaced any such claim. Second, the court found that the case did not fall within the “slim category” of cases in which federal question jurisdiction exists for state law claims that raise substantial and disputed federal issues. Although the court acknowledged that there were “federal interests in addressing climate change,” the court said the defendants had not established that “a federal issue” such as foreign policy or a federal regulatory scheme was a necessary element of Baltimore’s claims. Third, the court rejected the argument that the foreign affairs doctrine or the Clean Air Act completely preempted Baltimore’s claims. Fourth, the court found no basis for federal jurisdiction based on defendants’ activities on federal enclaves. Regarding the alternative bases for removal jurisdiction, the court found that the defendants did not demonstrate that jurisdiction existed under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, or that the claims were removable under the federal officer removal statute, the bankruptcy removal statute, or admiralty jurisdiction. Pursuant to a stipulation by the parties, the remand order is temporarily stayed. The defendants are seeking to stay the order pending their appeal to the Fourth Circuit. 04/22/2019 Consent Decree Download Court entered consent order accepting joint stipulation to temporarily stay execution of any remand order. 04/19/2019 Stipulation Download Parties filed a joint stipulation and proposed consent order to temporarily stay execution of any remand order the court may issue. 04/12/2019 Reply Download Reply filed by defendants to plaintiff's opposition to conditional motion to stay execution of any remand order. 04/05/2019 Opposition Download Plaintiff filed opposition to defendants' conditional motion to stay execution of any remand order. 04/03/2019 Motion Download Conditional motion filed by defendants to stay execution of remand order should the court grant the pending motion to remand. 02/22/2019 Opposition Download Opposition to defendants' request for hearing filed by plaintiff. 02/20/2019 Request Download Request for hearing filed by defendants. 12/27/2018 Memorandum of Law Download Notice errata to Mayor & City Council of Baltimore's motion to remand to state court filed, along with corrected memorandum of law. 10/25/2018 Reply Download Reply filed in support of motion to remand. 10/11/2018 Opposition Download Opposition filed to motion to remand. Fossil Fuel Companies Opposed Remand of Baltimore’s Climate Change Lawsuit. On October 11, 2018, fossil fuel companies filed papers in Maryland federal court opposing remand of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore’s (Baltimore’s) lawsuit seeking to hold the companies liable for the impacts of climate change. The companies argued that the claims necessarily arose under federal common law, and that even if only state-law claims were asserted, the claims necessarily raised disputed and substantial federal issues. In addition, the companies argued that the Clean Air Act and other federal statutes completely preempted the claims and that federal jurisdiction was also available pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the federal officer removal statue, federal enclave doctrine, the bankruptcy removal statute, and admiralty jurisdiction. 09/11/2018 Motion Download Motion to remand filed. Baltimore Moved to Remand Its Climate Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuel Companies to State Court. On September 11, 2018, Baltimore moved to remand its climate change lawsuit against fossil fuel companies to Maryland state court. First, Baltimore contended that the defendants’ assertions that federal common law governed the City’s tort claims raised an ordinary preemption defense, which did not confer subject matter jurisdiction. Moreover, Baltimore argued, its claims were not required to be pleaded under federal common law and, in any event, fell outside the scope of federal common law. Baltimore further argued that the defendants’ other grounds for removal did not supply a basis for federal subject matter jurisdiction. In particular, Baltimore asserted that the complaint did not necessarily raise substantial, disputed federal questions; that the Clean Air Act did not preempt the City’s claims; that the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act did not supply jurisdiction for the claims; that there was no federal enclave jurisdiction; that the federal officer removal statute did not apply because the defendants did not act under federal officers; that the bankruptcy removal provisions did not apply; and that admiralty jurisdiction did not provide a basis for removal. 07/31/2018 Notice Download Notice of removal filed. Case Removed to Federal Court. Baltimore asserted causes of action for public nuisance, private nuisance, strict liability failure to warn, strict liability design defect, negligent design defect, negligent failure to warn, and trespass, as well as a cause of action under Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act. The Chevron defendants removed the action to federal court on July 31, 2018, asserting that Baltimore’s lawsuit “calls into question longstanding decisions by the Federal Government regarding, among other things, national security, national energy policy, environmental protection, development of outer continental shelf lands, the maintenance of a national petroleum reserve, mineral extraction on federal lands (which has produced billions of dollars for the Federal Government), and the negotiation of international agreements bearing on the development and use of fossil fuels.” Chevron said the causes of action should be governed by federal common law. The defendants said the case should “be heard in this federal forum to protect the national interest by its prompt dismissal.” -
Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. BP p.l.c.
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 07/20/2018 Complaint Download Complaint filed. Baltimore Filed Climate Change Lawsuit Against 26 Fossil Fuel Companies. On July 20, 2018, the Mayor and City of Baltimore (Baltimore) filed an action in Maryland state court seeking to hold 26 fossil fuel companies liable for injuries resulting from climate change. Like other municipalities, Baltimore alleged that the defendants’ conduct¬¬—the production, promotion, and marketing of fossil fuel products; the simultaneous concealment of the products’ known hazards; and their “championing of anti-science campaigns”¬¬¬—directly and proximately cause adverse climate change impacts. The alleged injuries included more frequent and more severe storms and flooding in the city and substantial increases in average sea level, as well as heatwaves, disruptions of the hydrologic cycle (including extreme precipitation and drought), and associated public health impacts. Baltimore asserted that it was particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding due to 60 miles of waterfront land and that climate change impacts already adversely affected the City’s infrastructure. Baltimore asserted causes of action for public nuisance, private nuisance, strict liability failure to warn, strict liability design defect, negligent design defect, negligent failure to warn, and trespass, as well as a cause of action under Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act.