Oil and gas companies could be on the hook for billions of dollars to compensate for environmental pollution after Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, a long-cherished priority for advocates who blame global warming on fossil fuels.

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Climate Change Superfund Act into law, making New York the second state in the country to hold fossil fuel companies responsible for climate impacts.

Kathy Hochul on Thursday approved the Legislature’s bill to require major polluters who have contributed to global warming to pay $75 billion for repairs from superstorms and other remediation forced by climate change that has so far been paid by taxpayers.