Maine climate protesters oppose legal immunity for fossil fuel industry
Maine climate advocates took to the streets of Portland and Lewiston on Thursday to rally against a federal bill that would shield oil and gas companies from climate-related lawsuits, arguing the legislation would leave taxpayers footing the bill for increasingly costly storm damage and sea-level rise.
The "No Immunity for Big Oil" demonstrations, organized by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, targeted the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act, introduced this year by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming. If passed, the bill would retroactively wipe out state-level climate lawsuits, including Maine's deceptive practices case against fossil fuel companies and its pending climate superfund law, which the state had broken into phases earlier this year to first study the costs of climate-related damages.
At noon in Portland's Lobsterman's Square, roughly 50 people gathered with hand-painted signs and a giant inflatable oil barrel under the late-August sun. Their bullhorn chants occasionally competed with a nearby nurses' demonstration, but the energy stayed high. One child carried a homemade placard reading "My future: Alternitive Energy." A woman held a painted portrait of Republican Sen. Susan Collins with the word "COMPLICIT" beneath the signature pearl necklace.
"There's a lot to be mad about today," said Josh Caldwell, the climate advocate for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, who led the rally. "Major corporations are unaccountable to the American people, destroying our world, destroying the very fabric of our society and destroying our economy."
The crowd responded to Caldwell's prompting with a rallying cry: "Make them pay! Make them pay!" Passing tourists raised their fists in solidarity, and drivers, many in out-of-state vehicles, honked in support.
After about 30 minutes, protesters marched from the square to the congressional offices of Sen. Angus King and Rep. Chellie Pingree, delivering petitions signed by 1,100 Maine residents.
In Lewiston, approximately two dozen people gathered at Dufresne Plaza and turned their signs, including "Big Oil, Big Lies" and "Make Polluters Pay," toward traffic on busy Lisbon Street before marching to Collins' local office to drop off letters opposing the bill.
Among them was Hallowell resident Greg Fahy, who said he was worried about who would ultimately pay for climate change if Congress grants the industry immunity.
"I'm really concerned about the fact that Congress is thinking about giving immunity to companies who are polluting, putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, creating global warming, causing all of these wildfires, flooding and all that sort of stuff," Fahy said. "If they get immunity, they'll not have to cover the costs of that and it'll come back to us, the taxpayers. We want to make sure the folks who are polluting are also paying for the cleanup."
The bill's supporters, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, argue that shielding the energy industry is necessary to protect critical infrastructure, stabilize markets, and prevent what they describe as costly, inconsistent litigation. They maintain that climate policy should be set at the federal level rather than through a patchwork of state laws.
Maine's congressional delegation offered mixed signals on where they stand. Pingree, a Democrat from the 1st District, came out firmly against the bill, calling it a giveaway to polluters.
"Maine families deserve relief from high heating and electricity bills," Pingree said in a statement. "But immunity for oil and gas companies is not an affordability policy. We should lower costs through energy efficiency and weatherization, reliable clean energy, a modernized grid."
Sen. Angus King, an independent, has not taken a public position. His office said he is reviewing the legislation and noted it has not yet been vetted by the Judiciary Committee, but that he would take a closer look after that review.
Collins, a Republican, declined to commit to a yes or no vote, but suggested she would likely oppose the measure, citing her past opposition to broad liability exemptions for energy manufacturers. She pointed to her history of fighting MTBE, a gasoline additive that has contaminated groundwater in Maine and other states.
"I have opposed harmful liability waivers for energy manufacturers, specifically those that produce MTBE," Collins said. "This chemical historically polluted drinking water supplies in Maine and many other states."
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from the 2nd District, did not respond to requests for comment.
Older activists from Third Act Maine also joined the Portland demonstration, framing the fight as one for future generations. Co-facilitator Molly Schen told the crowd that her father, a former Exxon executive, would be horrified by the legacy his company has left behind.
"We are here because we refuse to let oil companies rob our grandchildren of their future and leave taxpayers with the bill," said Schen, who carried a climate-stripe flag whose colored bars depict long-term global warming. "It is a moral duty to stand up for our climate before it's too late."
Sean Mahoney, senior counsel with the Conservation Law Foundation, framed the issue in terms of fairness.
"This is about basic fairness and protecting our communities," Mahoney said. "The oil giants want a free pass, but Maine families shouldn't have to pay for a mess they didn't make."
While Vermont and New York have already enacted climate superfund laws intended to collect billions from major polluters, the Trump administration has sued to halt a similar effort in Minnesota. Maine lawmakers opted this spring to take a more cautious approach, voting to study the potential costs of climate damages before moving forward with the second phase of its superfund program — a step that could become moot if the federal bill becomes law.
