<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Begin forwarded message:<br class=""><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Ilana Solomon <br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">NEW letter from 19 pro-fast track Dems on the environment chapter</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">July 30, 2015 at 12:16:43 PM EDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial" class="">Hi
all,</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""></span></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class="">In addition to the
letter I sent around <a href="http://blumenauer.house.gov/images/pdf/072815_letter_ustr.compressed1.pdf" class="">yesterday from 18 pro-fast track dems</a> about
enforcement and the environment chapter, <a href="http://blumenauer.house.gov/images/pdf/072915_letter_TPP.pdf" class=""><b class="">today 19 pro fast track dems sent another letter all about the obligations in the environment chapter.</b></a></span></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class="">The letter reiterates
that their support for TPA does not translate into automatic support for TPP.</span></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><font face="Times New Roman, serif" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt" class="">They also say that
they are concerned that the TPP will fail the scrutiny by the American public
if it does not incorporate the standards set out in the May 10th agreement.
This is particularly important, as we know that the TPP will</span></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt" class=""> not
meet the May 10th standard with respect
to multilateral environmental agreements. </b><font face="Times New Roman, serif" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt" class=""> May
10th obligated</span></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt" class=""> </b><font face="Times New Roman, serif" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt" class="">countries to “adopt, maintain, and implement” the
laws, regulations, and all other measures to fulfill its obligations under a
set of seven multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and subject those
commitments to the FTA dispute settlement process. The TPP will </span></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt" class=""><i class="">not </i></b><font face="Times New Roman, serif" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt" class="">include
a list of MEAs, (though USTR will argue that the text of the
TPP incorporates the core obligations from the MEAs - we know that is not the </span><span style="font-size:16px" class="">case</span><span style="font-size:12pt" class="">). So this
will be a really important point to stress to Members and to the media.</span></font></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial" class="">The letter also
stresses that “a strong TPP environment chapter that incorporates the proposal
outlined in your Green Paper is critical.” The problem is that the Green
Paper is quite vague (see<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2011/ustr-green-paper-conservation-and-trans-pacific-partnership" class="">here</a>). However, in the letter members
state that:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial" class="">"we cannot forgot an opportunity to improve
environmental protections, enforce conservation standards, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b class="">prohibit
the illegal trade in wildlife, forest and living marine resources</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> to a degree that no level of foreign aid could accomplish."</span> It also states that “by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">committing TPP
countries to prohibit trade in these illegally sourced goods,</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> we can significantly erode current
and future markets and transshipments points.” This is critical, as we
are quite certain that the TPP will not include a prohibition on illegal trade
in timber, wildlife, and fish. (There will be an obligation on illegal
trade in flora and fauna, but it will be vaguer than a prohibition.)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""></span></p><div class=""><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><br class=""></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial" class="">The language on shark finning and whaling will
also almost certainly not be strong enough to remedy the challenges, as the
letter suggests.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif" class=""></span></p><div class=""><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class="">The references to climate change and to investment chapters
will also provide useful points to follow up on.</span></p>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""><div class=""><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""><br class=""></span></div>The environmental
community will </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class="">be coordinating on how to make the most of this letter (and of course welcome any input/thoughts/strategy ideas)!</span><div class=""><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" class=""></span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class="">Best,</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class="">Ilana</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:12pt;line-height:115%" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="color:rgb(136,136,136)" class="">Ilana Solomon</span><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)" class="">Director, Responsible Trade Program </div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)" class="">Sierra Club</div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)" class=""><a href="mailto:ilana.solomon@sierraclub.org" target="_blank" class="">ilana.solomon@sierraclub.org</a> </div></div></div></div></div><br class=""></body></html>