Gov. Kathy Hochul on Dec. 26 signed New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act into law, a “polluter pays” liability statute certain to be challenged in court as a state preemption of federal regulatory oversight in assessing carbon-emitting companies an estimated $75 billion in climate damage they allegedly caused between 2000 and 2018.
Adopted by lawmakers in June, the law—which goes into effect in 2028—will annually assess large companies’ carbon emissions across those first 19 years of the 21st century to “repair damage caused by extreme weather” they said aggravated by greenhouse gas emissions.
“New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable,” said Democratic state Sen. Liz Krueger, a lead sponsor of the New York Climate Change Superfund Act….