Support has been growing at the University of Rhode Island for Sen. Linda L. Ujifusa and Rep. Jennifer Boylan’s proposed Rhode Island Climate Superfund Act, which would relieve Rhode Island taxpayers of paying for climate cleanup caused by fossil fuels.
Surfrider Foundation is a national organization dedicated to protecting our oceans and coastlines from pollution and the effects of climate change, according to the Surfrider Foundation. Part of their mission is dedicated to environmental advocacy.
“I feel like it’s revolutionary,” Shannon McGrath, vice president of the URI chapter of Surfrider Foundation, said.“[RICSA] should have been there, because ‘Make Polluters Pay’ should always be enacted, and it’s very important for climate change.”
This bill has become a priority for the new Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition, according to McGrath, where she is an intern. The coalition encourages civic participation from Rhode Island high schools and colleges to help push climate-related bills through Congress.
RISCA is in its second year of legislative action, with the bill dying in committee last session due to questions of unconstitutionality and the chance of lawsuits, according to the State of Rhode Island General Assembly.
If the bill is passed, it would shift the burden onto companies that created the fossil fuels in the first place, potentially saving millions of taxpayer dollars, according to Boylan.
“We’re starting with the biggest of the big companies, the major global producers that are the largest of the large,” Boylan said. “So, we’re not talking about the tiny mom and pop oil company that’s down the street from me in my town or in the next town over.”
Similar climate superfund bills have been enacted in Vermont and New York. Both states are fighting lawsuits against the bill, according to Boylan.
“Of course there’s going to be lawsuits,” Boylan said. “There’s millions and billions of dollars at stake from very wealthy corporations that have socked away profits for years and years from their products, and not been held accountable for their harm.”
Although the bill has faced some criticism, Boylan said she isn’t discouraged.
“It’s part of the framework that we live in, there are lawsuits and people push back, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fight worth fighting.”
With widespread support from around the country, Rhode Island is not alone in this fight. The “Make Polluters Pay” campaign kickoff began this year, with their key strategy to enact Climate Superfund Acts in other states, targeting key big oil companies. This campaign is run by many youth-activist groups, including the Sunrise Movement and Fossil Free Media.
Seven states across the country, including California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon and Connecticut, are trying to push similar legislation forward this session, according to Boylan.
“There’s a large movement,” Boylan said. “This approach…is very popular in our country and I really am looking forward to getting this bill signed into law.”
As the Surfriders are engaged in this legislation, she said she is hopeful that other URI organizations will follow suit.
The official hearing date of the Climate Superfund Act has yet to be set, but it is currently in Committee.
To learn more about the bill, visit the State of Rhode Island General Assembly. To learn more about Surfrider’s mission and how you can get involved, visit Surfrider Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation Club at URI.
