Federal Judge Remands Charleston Climate Lawsuit to State Court

A district judge in South Carolina tossed a Charleston climate complaint back to state court where it was filed, ruling that oil companies failed to prove why federal court was necessary in the case.

Oil companies including Brabham Oil Company Inc., Colonial Pipeline Co., and Exxon Mobil Corp. didn’t provide any new or compelling evidence as to why this case should be lifted from the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas, according to the opinion authored by Judge Richard Mark Gergel of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

The companies argued that another decision to keep ...