New documents filed in effort to block Hawaii climate lawsuit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Trump administration is asking the court to reconsider its decision dismissing a lawsuit that attempted to stop the State of Hawaii from suing big oil companies.

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U.S. District Court Judge Helen Gillmor ruled the case lacked standing in April. The U.S. government challenged the ruling with a new motion in May, saying there was a misunderstanding and that it wasn’t given a chance to address the jurisdictional deficiency identified in the ruling.

The motion also argues that the court departed from Ninth Circuit precedent by dismissing the case without prejudice instead of with prejudice.

The state filed a response Friday saying the motion should not be granted unless the court is “Presented with newly discovered evidence, committed clear error, or if there is an intervening change in the controlling law.”

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The United States filed the lawsuit in April 2025 in an attempt the stop the state from suing major fossil fuel companies including BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobile and Shell. The state claimed the companies failed to warn the public about the environmental damage they cause. The U.S. however said the lawsuit oversteps state authority.

So far, no hearing has been scheduled on the motion to amend the judgement. Hawaii’s lawsuit against the oil companies seeks relief for natural resource damage as well as civil penalties.

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