On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Kathy Seeley handed a victory to more than a dozen plaintiffs in the nation’s very first constitutional climate trial.
Seeley’s decision validated plaintiffs’ assertion that Montana’s continued fossil fuel development violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” as stipulated in Montana’s state constitution.
The ruling will reverse a recently-passed Montana state law that stopped state agencies from weighing potential pollution output when approving fossil fuel projects.
Legal experts say the case could set a new standard for climate litigation across the country.
