Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement following the United States District Court for the Northern District of California's decision to remand a lawsuit against ExxonMobil back to state court. The lawsuit, filed by the California Department of Justice (DOJ), accuses ExxonMobil of misleading the public about the effectiveness of plastic recycling in addressing plastic waste and pollution.

"ExxonMobil has been deceiving the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis when they knew this wasn’t possible," stated Attorney General Bonta. "We are pleased with the Court’s decision to remand our plastic deception case against ExxonMobil to state court where it rightfully belongs. At the California Department of Justice, we stand ready to litigate this case, which directly affects California’s laws and its residents, and hold ExxonMobil fully accountable for its role in actively creating and exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis through its campaign of deception."

The DOJ began investigating fossil fuel and petrochemical industries in 2022 for their contributions to global plastic waste issues. This investigation included issuing subpoenas to ExxonMobil and related industry groups, uncovering documents that led to a lawsuit filed in San Francisco County Superior Court last year.

ExxonMobil attempted to move the case to federal court on November 1, 2024. However, on December 9, 2024, the DOJ filed a motion seeking remand back to state court. The District Court has now granted this motion.

A copy of the ruling is available online.