Massachusetts’ Top Dog Climate Regulator Under For Over ‘Missed’ Records
Massachusetts' top environmental regulator is taking heat after it "missed" records it had been asked to hand over in a records request.
Massachusetts’ top environmental regulator is taking heat after it “missed” records it had been asked to hand over in a records request.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asked the Superior Court Friday to extend a deadline for summary judgment in what has become a brutal records request fight, with ExxonMobil hoping to shed light on the state’s failure to follow its own emissions rules. The records fight stems from Massachusetts’ years-long legal battle with Exxon over climate change, which began in 2019 when then-Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey alleged the company misled Massachusetts investors and consumers about climate-related risks and its fossil-fuel products.
Exxon has sought records concerning “next steps” state executive offices should take to comply with Massachusetts’ CO₂ emissions requirements for state fleet passenger vehicles, including records using the term “Executive Office.”
The state watchdog repeatedly claimed over a 16-month period that it handed over “all” responsive records, Exxon’s Friday response to DEP’s extension request notes, adding that it submitted numerous affidavits to support that claim.
DEP’s initial search failed to include relevant records, officials and search terms, including records from the Commissioner’s Office despite its role in administering the emissions regulation, Exxon’s filing alleges.
DEP and Exxon Mobil did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comments.
DEP interpreted “Executive Office” more broadly than the agency had when conducting its original