<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class="">Good morning,</div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class="">I'm sharing <a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/0999_Trade_Bilcon_Factsheet_04_low.pdf?docID=17481" target="_blank" class="">Sierra Club's new</a><a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/0999_Trade_Bilcon_Factsheet_04_low.pdf?docID=17481" target="_blank" class=""> short brief</a> on a recent investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) case that demonstrates how "investment" rules in trade agreements threaten common-sense environmental policies that seek to protect communities and endangered species. </div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/0999_Trade_Bilcon_Factsheet_04_low.pdf?docID=17481" target="_blank" class="">This piece</a> is on "Clayton/ Bilcon v. Government of Canada"- an ISDS case that a U.S. company has just won against Canada. The company, Bilcon, is seeking over $300 million in damages in response to an environmental impact assessment that ultimately led Canada and Nova Scotia to reject Bilcon's proposed mining project at the Bay of Fundy. The environmental impact statement warned that the project could harm endangered species of whale and salmon, and would irreparably threaten the "community core values" of people living in the area. However, Bilcon argued that there is no "basis" to consider community values in environmental assessments under Canadian law, and that it had been denied a "minimum standard of treatment" under NAFTA.</div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class="">The decision of the trade tribunal is very concerning, because it suggests corporations can use trade rules to demand hundreds of millions of dollars in response to environmental assessments that take into account communities' values and wishes. It also provided a foreign company with powers to demand compensation that are not available under Canadian law. For these reasons and more, the dissenting vote on the tribunal said this case would have major chilling effects on future environmental policy-making.</div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/0999_Trade_Bilcon_Factsheet_04_low.pdf?docID=17481" target="_blank" class="">You can find our short brief here</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" class="">Thanks,</div></div></div></div></div>-- <br class=""><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="">Courtenay Lewis</div><div class="">Campaign Representative, Responsible Trade Program</div><div class="">Sierra Club</div><div class="">202-495-3026 (office)</div><div class="">202-817-0358 (cell)</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></body></html>