In the first public meeting since Bucks County filed a climate lawsuit against American energy companies, local Pennsylvanians rebuked the litigation and Republican Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo formally withdrew his support after facing backlash.
As the Delaware Valley Journal reports:
“I have considered this for the past seven or eight days,” said DiGirolamo. “And at this point, I would like to withdraw my support for the lawsuit.”
Citizens also voiced their disapproval of the suit:
“’Where is this coming from that Bucks County is going to sue oil companies?’ asked Andy Warren, a former Bucks County commissioner. ‘We’ve got to have more substantial things about Bucks County than to start a crusade about oil companies.’”
“Warminster resident Beth Curcio said, ‘I’m not surprised you would look for the press by suing the oil companies. The very companies that make your clothes, shoes, furniture, heat your homes, run all your transportation — I could go on forever. Over the years it’s become cleaner and safer to transport through pipelines.’”
Others questioned the contingency fee agreement with DiCello Levitt, LLP, the law firm supporting the case –details of which still aren’t fully known:
“In response to complaints about the use of county resources, Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia said the lawyers handling the lawsuit against the oil companies are working on a contingency basis so the county will not have to pay legal fees unless it wins damages.” (emphasis added)
Also notable is that the Commissioners who defended the lawsuit echoed talking points straight from the Center for Climate Integrity’s (CCI) playbook, the activist group spearheading these lawsuits across the country. EID Climate has previously highlighted how CCI uses Rockefeller-funded “climate costs” reports to lay the groundwork for future litigation in municipalities. In defending the suit, Vice Chair Robert Harvie Jr. used numbers from that report to justify their action.
This reiterates questions of if outside influences such as CCI or other ENGOs pressured Bucks County to join the national litigation campaign, especially as the meeting was done in executive session with no public scrutiny and CCI heads to Allegheny County next week to make the very same pitch.
Local residents are also demanding transparency, something the county appears to have had issues with in the past. Jamie Walker, a Central Bucks Schools district mom of three and former teacher wrote:
“Why would commissioners file a lawsuit suing an oil company in local Common Pleas Court? It makes no sense. This newly announced lawsuit was created in darkness, hidden from their constituents. There was never a public meeting about it. There was never a public vote. It was all done in darkness. That’s their typical MO. Keep in mind all three commissioners drive cars that need gas. The three of them should lead by example and buy electric vehicles. Perhaps the oil companies should stop delivering gas to Bucks County in protest?” (emphasis added)
Bottom Line: A cloud of questions surround Bucks County’s lawsuit: Why wasn’t there a public vote? What is the backstory behind DiGirolamo’s flip? What is the county’s contingency agreement? What outside influences lobbied for the suit? Pennsylvanians deserve answers to these questions as Bucks County wages litigation warfare on Keystone State energy workers.
