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Crosscurrents

Bay Area counties file sea level rise lawsuit against major oil companies

"Pier 14 King Tide 2-2016" by Flickr user Dave R, under CC BY-NC 2.0, cropped and resized
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Two California counties and one city did something unprecedented last week: San Mateo County, Marin County, and Imperial Beach down in San Diego are suing 37 different oil and gas companies for the projected effects and costs of sea level rise along the coast.

Recent studies show that chronic flooding could arrive in the Bay Area as early as 2060, and some Bay Area counties say they are already dealing with the effects. KALW's energy and environment reporter Angela Johnston spoke with News Director Ben Trefny about this unique lawsuit and our rising seas.

Click on the audio player above to listen to the full Q &A.