Delaware Riverkeeper Network was among the lead organizations nationally challenging the proposed TPP trade deal that would have increased LNG exports and thereby upped pressure for fracking, and bypassed critical environmental protections on many fronts. The efforts of DRN and our partners were successful in securing growing opposition to the TPP and its ultimate rejection.
President Obama proposed and pressed for passage of the new trade deal called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP). Leaked sections of the secret deal demonstrate it is light on environmental preservation and heavy on corporate protection.
The TPP would give foreign corporations the right to sue the US government for millions of dollars if they believe a U.S. environmental law (State, Federal or local) has diminished its ability to make profits.
If passed as planned, the TPP would have given special status to new countries who would then benefit from automatic approval LNG export plans – those countries include Japan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and New Zealand, and China. That would mean environmental and economic reviews of the impacts of the new LNG construction, operation and export would be by-passed.
More LNG exports creates more pressure for shale gas development and fracking; more legal challenges against environmental protection laws means less protection against gas drilling and fracking.
In addition, President Obama wanted Congress to pass a piece of legislation called the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014 — “Fast Track” for short, that would give the President super powers to be able to continue to negotiate the TPP deal in secret, to sign the deal on behalf of the United States, to draft and put forth before Congress the legislation that would change or modify any existing U.S. laws necessary to bring the country into compliance with the TPP, and to relegate our Congress to a mere “yay” or “nay” vote, no hearings, no amendments, and very little conversation at all.