Making Polluters Pay for Climate Damages in Maine[

The Path to a Maine Climate Superfund

Despite heavy lobbying from fossil fuel companies to try and block progress, the ball is now rolling toward the creation of a climate superfund for Maine. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will shortly issue a request for proposals to conduct the study that will assess the true cost of climate damages in Maine, which will include opportunities for public engagement.

The final report will be delivered to the Legislature in January of 2028, at which point the Environment and Natural Resources Committee will be able to put forward legislation to establish a Climate Superfund. Winning on significant climate legislation is always hard work, and it will be essential for those of us who care about the future of Maine’s environment and the health of our communities to make their voices heard throughout the legislative process.

Right now, we need to make sure that Maine’s Congressional delegation holds firm in their opposition to Big Oil immunity legislation, which is anticipated to emerge in the fall of 2026 as part of the budget process. Senator Susan Collins is a particularly important voice in this process as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee and needs to hear from her constituents that Maine does not want to see Big Oil let off the hook to pollute Maine free of charge.

If we pass the federal hurdle and a Climate Superfund program is passed into law by the Maine State Legislature in 2028, the program will be eligible to receive fees from polluters that are responsible for over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 1995 and 2024, ensuring that only the largest international fossil fuel companies (none of which are based in Maine) are on the hook to pay for climate damages. The amount each corporation owes will be calculated according to their relative level of contribution over that time.

A Climate Superfund for Maine will not only hold polluters accountable for the damage they are doing to our environment, it is a necessary step toward giving our cities and towns the tools they need to protect their residents, local businesses, and infrastructure from the increasingly damaging impacts of climate change.