HELENA — Closing statements were given Tuesday morning, June 20, in the landmark case Held v. State of Montana.
The case, a first of its kind in the United States, was filed against the State of Montana by the environmental group Our Children’s Trust along with 16 plaintiffs aged 5-22. The suit alleges the state has not upheld its constitutional obligation to a “clean and healthful environment” by investing in oil, gas, and coal development.
“Plaintiffs are asking this court to declare that a stable climate system is fundamental to the protection of their rights to a clean and healthful environment...” said an attorney for the Plaintiffs during closing statements.
The trial, which began on Monday, June 12, ran for a total of seven days. The first five days were used by the plaintiffs' attorneys to bring scientists to the stand to speak about the science behind climate change and its effects. Additionally, some of the 16 plaintiffs spoke about their experience with climate change and how it’s affected their lives personally.
The state utilized one day on Monday, June 19 to bring forth its defense against the lawsuit. They called two officials from Montana DEQ and an economist, Terry Anderson, to the stand.
One of the state’s primary arguments throughout the trial was that Montana’s overall contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is minuscule when compared to the rest of the world.
The presiding Judge Kathy Seeley will release her decision at a later date.
