{"id":2395994,"date":"2025-01-28T08:56:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T13:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-lawmakers-propose-making-oil-companies-liable-for-wildfires-payouts-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-28T09:00:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T14:00:43","slug":"california-lawmakers-propose-making-oil-companies-liable-for-wildfires-payouts-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-lawmakers-propose-making-oil-companies-liable-for-wildfires-payouts-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"California lawmakers propose making oil companies liable for wildfires, payouts &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-lawmakers-propose-making-oil-companies-liable-for-wildfires-payouts-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2395994&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>California\u2063 lawmakers have\u200d introduced a proposal to hold \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/liberal-dark-money-network-is-behind-grassroots-support-for-dem-climate-bill\/\" title=\"Liberal Dark Money Network Is Behind \u2018Grassroots\u2019 Support for Dem Climate Bill\">fossil fuel companies<\/a> accountable for their alleged role in natural disasters, \u200bspecifically wildfires. This legislation allows victims \u2062of wildfires and\u2062 insurance companies to sue fossil fuel companies, which proponents argue contribute to escalating\u2062 climate-related disasters. Senator Scott Wiener emphasizes that California residents\u200b are\u2063 facing severe costs \u200cdue to\u200b climate change, and the bill aims to stabilize insurance markets by making these \u2063companies pay for their impact.<\/p>\n<p>However, wildfire experts \u2063attribute California&#8217;s worsening fire situation\u2062 more to \u200dstate mismanagement, including budget cuts to forest management\u2062 and poor \u2062water management practices. Critics, including members of the American legislative Exchange Council, argue that the blame lies with\u200c the\u2063 state\u200b for neglecting effective \u2063forest\u200c management and allowing significant resources, like the Santa Ynez \u200bReservoir, to fall \u2063into \u2062disrepair.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts are underway to reform forest management\u2063 processes, with \u200ba bipartisan bill in Congress aimed at \u2064streamlining permitting for forest management projects. The\u200b debate continues over assigning responsibility for California&#8217;s wildfire crisis, highlighting the complex interplay of environmental policy, climate \u2062change,\u2064 and management practices.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">California lawmakers propose making oil companies liable for wildfires, payouts<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1955999\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square)&nbsp;&ndash; California lawmakers proposed making fossil fuel companies liable for natural disasters by allowing natural disaster victims and insurance companies to sue them due to their alleged impact on the environment. Wildfire experts, however, say that the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-brings-the-heat-at-roundtable-on-california-fire-aid-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump brings the heat at roundtable on California fire aid - Washington Examiner\">poor water management<\/a> and recent cuts to forest management are largely responsible for the state&rsquo;s worsening wildfires.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Early estimates of damage and loss from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accuweather.com\/en\/weather-news\/accuweather-estimates-more-than-250-billion-in-damages-and-economic-loss-from-la-wildfires\/1733821#:~:text=News%20%2F%20Weather%20News-,AccuWeather%20estimates%20more%20than%20%24250%20billion%20in%20damages%20and%20economic,the%20entire%202020%20wildfire%20season.\">exceed<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;$250 billion, which means insurance companies would need to charge massive assessments to insurance holders or wait for a taxpayer bailout. SB 222 would allow insurers to instead pass the buck on to fossil fuel companies, whom legislators blame for &ldquo;escalating disasters.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Californians are paying a devastating price for the climate crisis, as escalating disasters destroy entire communities and drive insurance costs through the roof,&rdquo; said bill author state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, in a statement. &ldquo;Containing these costs is critical to our recovery and to the future of our state. By forcing the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis to pay their fair share, we can help stabilize our insurance market and make the victims of climate disasters whole.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, experts at the American Legislative Exchange Council&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/alec.org\/article\/californias-wildfire-crisis-a-failure-of-priorities\/#:~:text=California's%20water%20mismanagement%20has%20exacerbated,been%20neglected%20or%20outright%20ignored.\">point<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;much of the blame for the state&rsquo;s worsening wildfires at the state for cutting forest management budgets, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">sustaining lengthy forest management permitting processes<\/a>, and engaging in poor water management.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Poor water management, bureaucratic resistance to wildfire remediation efforts, and misplaced spending priorities have left Californians vulnerable to disasters that are both predictable and preventable,&rdquo;&nbsp; wrote ALEC&rsquo;s Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force Director Joe Trotter.<\/p>\n<p>Trotter notes Gov. Gavin Newsom&rsquo;s first-draft budget &ldquo;cut the CAL FIRE resource management budget by 50%, reducing funding for critical forest and wildfire resilience programs&rdquo; while proposing &ldquo;$14.7 billion for zero-emission vehicles and clean energy initiatives,&rdquo; and that the &ldquo;the Santa Ynez Reservoir &mdash; designed to hold 117 million gallons of water&rdquo; for water storage and firefighting in the Pacific Palisades was left empty due to maintenance issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With an estimated forest management cost of $1,000 per acre, and an estimated 15 million acres of at-risk forest in California, the state could clear its current at-risk backlog for $15 billion, though with current environmental regulations, it&rsquo;s unclear how long such a project &mdash; even if fully funded &mdash; could take.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/california\/article_41661f3e-d9d5-11ef-9d96-0fc13a0b17c9.html\">According<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;to U.S. Forest Service data cited in a&nbsp;Property and Environment Research Center&nbsp;report, it takes an average of 3.6 years to start mechanical thinning and 4.7 years to conduct a controlled burn after the USFS starts the environmental review process. For projects that require environmental impact statements, it takes an average of 5.3 years after initiating permitting to start mechanical thinning, and 7.2 years for prescribed burns.<\/p>\n<p>With a bipartisan bill that would significantly&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/california\/article_41661f3e-d9d5-11ef-9d96-0fc13a0b17c9.html\">streamline<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;forest management permitting advancing in Congress from the House to the Senate last week, lawmakers appear ready to engage with meaningful reform that would transition the nation from a posture of reactive fire-suppression to active forest-management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1955999\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1955999\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California lawmakers aim to hold oil companies accountable for wildfires<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2395995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25021480014062.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,3673,49327,23907],"class_list":["post-2395994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-lawmakers","tag-oil-companies","tag-wildfires"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25021480014062.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2395994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2395994"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2395994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2395998,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2395994\/revisions\/2395998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2395995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2395994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2395994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2395994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}