The day 65-year-old Julie Leon died was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington State history. Her death was officially ruled as hyperthermia, or overheating. 

Officially, more than 100 people died in the state due to that extreme 2021 heat wave, but many experts believe the number of deaths exceeds 400. Last week, Julie’s daughter, Misti Leon, filed a lawsuit, pointing the finger at who she thinks is responsible: big oil. 

The lawsuit claims that oil and gas companies have been knowingly misleading the public for more than 50 years about the effects of fossil fuels on the climate. It says this deception has made them trillions of dollars, while leading to the deaths of people like Julie Leon. 

Guest: 

Korey Silverman-Roati, a Senior Fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School

Related Links: 
Oil companies face a wrongful death suit tied to climate change
Leon v. Exxon Complaint PDF
Oil Companies Are Sued Over Death of Woman in 2021 Heat Wave

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

 

 

The day 65-year-old Julie Leon died was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington State history. Her death was officially ruled as hyperthermia, or overheating.&nbsp;
Officially, more than 100 people died in the state due to that extreme 2021 heat wave, but many experts believe the number of deaths exceeds 400. Last week, Julie&rsquo;s daughter, Misti Leon, filed a lawsuit, pointing the finger at who she thinks is responsible: big oil.&nbsp;
The lawsuit claims that oil and gas companies have been knowingly misleading the public for more than 50 years about the effects of fossil fuels on the climate. It says this deception has made them trillions of dollars, while leading to the deaths of people like Julie Leon.&nbsp;
Guest:&nbsp;
<a href="https://climate.law.columbia.edu/directory/korey-silverman-roati">Korey Silverman-Roati</a>, a Senior Fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School
Related Links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="Oil%20companies%20face%20a%20wrongful%20death%20suit%20tied%20to%20climate%20change">Oil companies face a wrongful death suit tied to climate change</a></li>
<li><a href="https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Leon_v_Exxon_Complaint.pdf">Leon v. Exxon Complaint PDF</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/climate/oil-companies-wrongful-death-lawsuit-heat-dome.html">Oil Companies Are Sued Over Death of Woman in 2021 Heat Wave</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Soundside

The day 65-year-old Julie Leon died was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington State history. Her death was officially ruled as hyperthermia, or overheating. 

Advertisement