# Boulder sues Exxon Suncor over climate damages

> Colorado city sues oil giants for climate harm in SCOTUS case.
- Title: Boulder sues Exxon Suncor over climate damages · Mother Jones
- Summary: Colorado city sues oil giants for climate harm in SCOTUS case. Boulder argues Exxon and Suncor deceived the public about climate risks and must pay damages…
- Keywords: boulder, exxon, suncor, climate damages, scotus, colorado, tort law, clean air act, sues, climate, damages, Mother Jones
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/environment/2026/10/burned-cattle-drought-smoke-choked-pastures-and-the-scotus-case-to-make-exxon-and-suncor-pay
- Author: Rachel Santarsiero
- Published: 2026-10-02T10:20:12+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: boulder, exxon, suncor, climate damages, scotus, colorado, tort law, clean air act
## Ranchers face climate crisis
Deirdre Macnab saw cows burned to death and pastures choked in smoke during Colorado's 2026 drought.

> It was hellish. Between the temperature and the drought, 2026 was a dress rehearsal for what we know is coming.
## Boulder sues energy giants
Boulder filed a lawsuit in 2018 claiming Exxon and Suncor deceived the public about climate risks and must pay damages.

> The damages will only multiply as climate change worsens.
## Energy companies challenge case
Exxon and Suncor asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Boulder's case before trial, arguing it violates federal Clean Air Act authority.

> Claims seeking relief for injuries allegedly caused by interstate pollution constitute an inherently federal area exclusively governed by federal law.
## Ranchers support Boulder
Deirdre Macnab and six other ranchers submitted an amicus brief supporting Boulder's climate damage claims.

> Every single rancher can tell stories about how their operations have been impacted and in some cases ended.
## Legal experts weigh in
Law professors describe the case as a tort law dispute over whether companies deceived the public about climate risks.

> You could call it deception, misrepresentation, but frankly it’s fraud.
## Trump administration complicates case
The Trump administration rescinded the 2009 endangerment finding, weakening EPA's authority to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act.

> The administration is 'drastically shrinking the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act.'
## Potential legal ripple effects
A Supreme Court ruling could affect asbestos, pharmaceutical, and opioid litigation by expanding state tort law claims.

> It swallows up all of state tort law that involves any kind of international company.
## Boulder seeks industry accountability
Boulder argues industry should 'remediate harm' from fossil fuel production, not regulate emissions.

> Alone, [the City and County of Boulder] and their taxpayers cannot pay the full costs of all that is needed to attempt to mitigate the harm caused by climate change, nor should they.
## SCOTUS oral arguments begin
On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for the case between Boulder and Exxon Suncor.

> The case revolves around a dispute between the City and County of Boulder, which first sued the energy companies in 2018.
## What happens next
The Supreme Court could rule in favor of Exxon Suncor, setting a precedent for dozens of climate lawsuits nationwide.

> A broad ruling ends essentially all of them.
## Key takeaway

Boulder argues Exxon and Suncor deceived the public about climate risks and must pay damages for heat waves, wildfires, and droughts.