Texas, Wyoming Lawmakers Push Immunity for Fossil Fuel
SkimNews Take
Proposed legislation aims to reframe the legal responsibility for air quality, potentially shifting accountability for domestic pollution by allowing states to attribute local haze to foreign emissions.
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- Harriet Hageman introduced the “Stop Climate Shakedowns Act” to give fossil‑fuel companies immunity from climate‑related lawsuit liability.
- Cynthia Lummis helped pass the FENCES Act, which cleared the House on April 16 and eases states’ ability to blame foreign emissions for local haze.
- American Petroleum Institute lobbied for both bills, per disclosed lobbying records.
- Ted Cruz co‑sponsored the immunity bill with Ted Budd, Tom Cotton, and Mike Lee, forming a GOP bloc.
- EPA’s ozone and regional haze standards remain unchanged, but the legislation would blunt enforcement by allowing “foreign‑emissions” defenses.
Why it matters: Fossil fuel companies stand to save billions in litigation costs, while communities lose legal recourse and EPA enforcement weakens, likely raising pollution levels and public‑health risks.
