California claims Exxon created a public nuisance. Here’s what it means

Many recent public nuisance lawsuits have not been tested at trial, but some have ended in large settlements.

California’s lawsuit on Monday accusing Exxon of fueling global plastic waste pollution by misleading the public about the limitations of recycling is the latest in a line of recent cases based on a centuries-old legal theory known as public nuisance. Here is a look at how public nuisance claims work, how such claims have fared, and what it might mean for California’s effort.