Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced today that it has served formal notice of a lawsuit against Shell for the company’s endangerment of the Providence River and local communities. Located along the banks of the Providence Harbor, Shell’s Providence Terminal sits directly in harm’s way as sea levels rise and storms becomes more extreme. CLF’s suit contends that Shell has failed to protect its Providence Terminal against the effects of climate change and has violated the conditions of its permit.
“In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on an offshore Shell facility, the company was forced to confront the reality of climate change and the dangers it poses,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “But more than a decade later, Shell’s acknowledgement of these risks has not translated into action to prevent them in places where people actually live. With just one severe storm – one major flood – the Providence River and surrounding communities could be inundated with toxic substances, yet Shell has done nothing to safeguard us from this fate. It’s time they be held accountable for this grave inaction.”
CLF’s notice letter cites violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as grounds for the lawsuit.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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