Fifteen plaintiffs, aged 5 to 22, have taken legal action against this American state and accuse them of violating their constitutional right to a “clean and healthy environment”.
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A historic audience. The first trial related to climate change in the United States opened on Monday, June 12, in Montana. A dozen young people have filed lawsuits against this northwestern state and accuse it of violating their constitutional right to a “clean and healthy environment”.
The case, dubbed “Held v. Montana,” is being watched closely because its outcome could support other lawsuits across the country, targeting both the fossil fuel industry and the authorities. At the heart of the debates, an article of the local constitution stipulating that “The state and everyone must maintain and improve a clean and healthy environment in Montana for present and future generations.” The trial, being held in Helena, the capital of Montana, is scheduled to run until June 23.
Children “singularly vulnerable”
The 16 complainants, aged 5 to 22, claim that the “dangerous effects of fossil fuels and the climate crisis” harmed them, because the children are “singularly vulnerable” to these effects which are only getting worse. Lead plaintiff Rikki Held, whose family owns a ranch in eastern Montana, gave emotional testimony at times.
The 22-year-old told how their way of life and livelihood had been directly affected by the wildfires, extreme temperatures, and drought that are increasingly hitting this state known for its wild and verdant landscapes. Rikki Held spoke in particular of a forest fire which had destroyed kilometers of high voltage lines and caused the loss of power for their ranch for a month, causing the death of heads of cattle because the family could not pump water. In 2021, smoke and ash from the fires had saturated the air “all summer”explained this graduate in environmental sciences.