The US Supreme Court opened its new nine-month term on Monday with a major case on whether oil companies ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy can shut down a climate-damages lawsuit filed by officials in Boulder, Colorado, Reuters reported. The city and county governments of Boulder are seeking monetary damages for harms caused by climate change. They accuse the two companies of driving climate change and misleading the public about fossil-fuel risks. Boulder wants the firms held liable for past and future costs linked to climate change, including infrastructure repairs, environmental damage, emergency management and harms to public health. ExxonMobil and Suncor appealed after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the case to proceed under state law, and the Trump administration has backed them, arguing federal law blocks Boulder’s claims. Nearly 60 state and local governments have filed similar suits seeking billions of dollars, and a ruling for the companies could see many dismissed, the firms told the court. Justice Samuel Alito will not participate in the case, the court said. The dispute will be heard on the first day of the court’s term and could decide the fate of dozens of climate-liability lawsuits across the United States.