July, 26 2013, 04:23pm EDT
Currently Over 50 Activists Shutting Down Environmental Resources Management Office in Downtown D.C. in Protest of Keystone XL, Some Using "Lockboxes"
Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is the lead consultant contracted by the State Department to assess the environmental impacts of Transcanada's Keystone XL pipeline. Activists have occupied ERM's office building in an effort to expose ERM's corruption and conflicts of interest in having contractual relationships with Big Oil. They are demanding that the State Department's final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) of Keystone XL be fair, balanced, and free from the influence of the fossil fuel industry.
WASHINGTON
Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is the lead consultant contracted by the State Department to assess the environmental impacts of Transcanada's Keystone XL pipeline. Activists have occupied ERM's office building in an effort to expose ERM's corruption and conflicts of interest in having contractual relationships with Big Oil. They are demanding that the State Department's final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) of Keystone XL be fair, balanced, and free from the influence of the fossil fuel industry.
When: This action is currently happening, and arrests are expected to occur within the hour.
Where: ERM's office is located at 1776 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
WHAT: There are over 40 activists currently blockading the elevator entrances to the building, as well as a smaller group that is blocking ERM's office door on the second floor by using "lockboxes." Lockboxes are tools that physically attach individuals to one another, making it difficult for police to remove protestors. The activists hope to expose the corruption of ERM and prevent them from conducting a normal business day.
WHO: This action is being facilitated by 350.org's "Summer Heat" in coordination with the Walk for our Grandchildren, and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
WHY: When ERM was hired by the State Department to review the environmental impact of the KXL, it lied on the conflict of interest agreement when it claimed to have no relationship with any business that would be affected by construction of the Keystone XL. In fact, ERM's own publicly available documents show that the firm has business with over a dozen companies with operating stakes in the Alberta tar sands over the past three years. ERM is also a member of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S trade association for the fossil fuel industry.
350 is building a future that's just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of the climate crisis. We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
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