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oJtY of y,.
<br />COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
<br />t,TF OF HF'�'
<br />RESOLUTION NO.�r�. 20
<br />A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII COUNTY CORPORATION
<br />COUNSEL TO JOIN LEGAL ACTION, CITY & COUNCIL OF HONOLULU VS
<br />SUNOCO LP, ET AL., CIV. NO. 20-380, AGAINST FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES TO
<br />RECOVER CLIMATE CRISIS -RELATED COSTS THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE
<br />COUNTY OF HAWAII.
<br />WHEREAS, page 70 of the 2017 Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation
<br />Report posited that with a 3.2 feet sea level rise low-lying coastal lands would become
<br />submerged by coastal erosion, incur direct marine flooding from tides and waves, or become new
<br />wetlands behind the shoreline from rising water tables, and would also result in reduced drainage
<br />on the island of Hawaii; and
<br />WHEREAS, according to the 2019 City and County of Honolulu Annual Sustainability
<br />Report, climate change has already caused more frequent and powerful hurricanes and tropical
<br />storms, intense rainfall, and flood events, a trend which is predicted to accelerate in the future;
<br />and
<br />WHEREAS, the 2019 report further stated that climate change presents a threat
<br />multiplier for the natural hazards our island faces, and we are witnessing the impacts of chronic
<br />coastal erosion, shoreline armoring, and sea level rise to both our beaches and coastal
<br />infrastructure; and
<br />WHEREAS, coastal communities throughout the United States, and around the world,
<br />face growing costs to protect their residents, businesses, and infrastructure from rapid sea level
<br />rise and other climate related damages; and
<br />WHEREAS, according to City & County of Honolulu vs Sunoco LP, et al., Civ. No. 20-
<br />380 circuit court case, multiple corporations were fully aware that consumption of their products
<br />and services would have direct detrimental impacts with regard to the earth's climate; and
<br />WHEREAS, over the next 30 to 70 years, homes and businesses located near a shoreline
<br />will be impacted by sea level rise, approximately 130 structures will be chronically flooded by
<br />3.2 feet of sea level rise, potential economic losses (all structures and land) island -wide would
<br />increase from an estimated $195 million with 1.1 feet of sea level rise to $426 million with 3.2
<br />feet of sea level rise; and
<br />WHEREAS, the fossil fuel companies to be named as defendants in the legal action
<br />include Chevron, Shell, Exxon Mobil, BP, the BHP Group, ConocoPhillips, Marathon (formerly
<br />Tesoro), and Aloha Petroleum, and more specifically include the following corporate entities:
<br />Chevron Corp., Chevron USA Inc., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Shell Oil Company, Shell Oil
<br />Products Company LLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., ExxonMobil Oil Corp., BP PLC, BP America Inc.,
<br />
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