California v. General Motors Corp.

On June 19, 2009, the California Attorney General’s Office voluntarily dropped its appeal to the Ninth Circuit to review the district court’s dismissal of the state’s public nuisance lawsuit against six major automobile companies. The withdrawal contained a statement that recent policy changes by the Obama administration indicated progress on certain related issues, specifically an increase in fuel economy standards and EPA’s “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare.

In September 2007, the district court granted the companies’ motion to dismiss, holding that the issues raised were “political questions” which were reserved for the President and Congress.

California filed a lawsuit against car manufacturers alleging that the companies’ vehicles were a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, which caused climate change, resulting in millions of dollars in damages to the State.