Alaskan youth sue state over a gas pipeline. Eight young Alaskans have filed a lawsuit in Anchorage, Alaska, arguing that a state policy promoting fossil fuels violates their constitutional rights and risks their health. They seek to halt a state-sponsored natural gas pipeline project, claiming it would cause climate pollution by emitting 2.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years. The plaintiffs, aged 11 to 22, represent the out-of-state nonprofit legal firm Our Children’s Trust, known for handling climate cases affecting youth.
The complaint asserts that Alaska’s Constitution is specifically committed to safeguarding all individuals’ natural and inherent human rights, including those of children and future generations. This includes the rights to life and liberty.
The plaintiffs claim that the project would worsen the effects of climate change on their lives, pointing to various impacts such as floods, wildfires, and disruptions to hunting and fishing activities.
The complaint cites Summer Sagoonick, a 22-year-old resident of Unalakleet, who states that existing levels of climate pollution have already harmed her family’s subsistence lifestyle.
Alaskan youth sue state to block a gas pipeline for health highlights instances where high temperatures, attributable to climate pollution, have led to large numbers of salmon washing up dead along the region’s shores.
Seventeen-year-old Jamie T. from Akiuk, Kasigluk, is also mentioned in the complaint, noting that their home is sinking into the tundra due to permafrost thawing caused by climate pollution.
In an email response, Tim Fitzpatrick, a spokesperson for the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC), stated that they would review the claim and provide a response accordingly.
Fitzpatrick emphasized that AGDC is mandated by Alaska statute to commercialize North Slope natural gas, citing significant environmental, economic, and energy security benefits for the state. He highlighted that Alaska LNG has undergone thorough environmental scrutiny by two successive administrations, underscoring its potential to reduce global emissions by up to 2.3 billion tons and address air quality issues in Interior Alaska villages and communities.
In correspondence, Alaska’s Attorney General Treg Taylor criticized the plaintiffs’ endeavors as misguided. He asserted that natural gas is a clean fuel and emphasized its global importance in energy development.
Taylor noted that Alaska’s LNG project is one of many under consideration worldwide, stressing the state’s commitment to the most stringent environmental standards. He warned that obstructing gas reserve development in Alaska could result in environmental harm elsewhere, as other regions may lack comparable environmental protections. Additionally, Taylor highlighted Alaska’s current gas supply shortage, prompting consideration of natural gas imports.
Taylor assured that the courts would uphold the legislation passed by the Alaska Legislature, which facilitates the development of an LNG project in the state.
