Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
.On Sept. 23, Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the company ofdeceiving the public for decades, claiming that the plastic it producedwas being recycled to reduce its impact on the environment.ExxonMobil is the world’s largest producer of chemical compounds thatmake plastic.In the complaint filed in the San Francisco County Superior Court, theDepartment of Justice (DOJ) alleged that ExxonMobil caused andworsened the global plastic pollution crisis. For decades ExxonMobilcreated marketing campaigns and public statements promising thatrecycling would address the large amount of plastic waste the companyproduced.
Bonta aims to stop the company’s deceptive practices that threaten theenvironment and the public. He also seeks to secure an abatement fund,disgorgement, and civil penalties for the harmful impact of plasticpollution on the environment and communities statewide.“Plastics are everywhere, from the deepest parts of our oceans, thehighest peaks on earth, and even in our bodies, causing irreversibledamage — in ways known and unknown — to our environment andpotentially our health,” said Bonta.Bonta argued that ExxonMobil lied to the public to further its record-breaking profits at the expense of the planet and jeopardize people’shealth. The state claims that only 5% of plastic waste was recyclednationwide, and the company’s recycling rate has never exceeded 9%. Inthe lawsuit, the state urges the court to hold ExxonMobil accountable forits role in actively harming the environment.Lauren Kight, a spokesperson for ExxonMobil, argued that the state isresponsible for harming the environment and is looking to pass on theblame.“For decades, California officials have known their recycling systemisn’t effective,” said in a statement.“They failed to act, and now they seek to blame others. Instead of suingus, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plasticout of landfills,” she said.
In addition to the DOJ’s lawsuit, non-profit organizations such as SierraClub, Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and Baykeeper filed aseparate lawsuit regarding ExxonMobil’s role in causing the globalplastics pollution crisis.
