Two members of the Los Angeles City Council called Friday for legal action against an array of petroleum companies, saying fossil fuel emissions have contributed to natural disasters and “abnormally intense weather patterns” that are proving costly for taxpayers.
The push for financial reimbursement comes as Southern California communities continue to deal with the aftermath of an especially intense wildfire season and, in recent days, devastating mudslides caused by a recent storm.
In their written proposal, Councilmen Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz said oil and gas companies knew they were contributing to climate change and did “nothing to stop their destructive ways.” The result, they said, has been expensive repairs to streets and other public facilities.
“We’re getting rising sea levels, wildfires, mudslides — that’s the implication of climate change right there,” Bonin said in an interview. “That does damage to our infrastructure. It just has some wide-ranging and comprehensive implications.”
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