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For Immediate Release
May, 10 2016, 11:15am EDT
Contact:
Anna Zuccaro | 914-523-9145 | press@sumofus.org
TUESDAY: Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Consumer Group Rally at Kinder Morgan (KMI) Shareholder Meeting in Opposition to Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion
On Tuesday, May 10th, representatives of global corporate watchdog SumOfUs.org and the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation in Vancouver, Canada will attend Kinder Morgan's annual shareholder meeting in Houston to oppose the corporation's proposed Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline project.
The pipeline, which would cut through Tsleil-Waututh traditional territory, would pump more than 850,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Canadian tar sands to export off the Pacific coast near Vancouver.
HOUSTON, Tx.
On Tuesday, May 10th, representatives of global corporate watchdog SumOfUs.org and the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation in Vancouver, Canada will attend Kinder Morgan's annual shareholder meeting in Houston to oppose the corporation's proposed Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline project.
The pipeline, which would cut through Tsleil-Waututh traditional territory, would pump more than 850,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Canadian tar sands to export off the Pacific coast near Vancouver.
Rueben George, Sundance Chief and member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, will present a shareholder proposal from the $184.5 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, which asks KMI to issue an annual sustainability report describing the company's responses to environmental, social, and governance-related issues, including human rights and the rights of Indigenous communities.
The proposal cites "opposition to Kinder Morgan's Trans-Mountain pipeline from Canadian indigenous and community groups" as one of the reasons such a report is needed.
The proposal can be viewed here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1506307/000104746916011734/a2227858zdef14a.htm#do77201_item_5_stockholder_proposal_re__ite02910
Lisa Lindsley, Capital Markets Advisor for SumOfUs.org will deliver a shareholder proposal on behalf of the $29 billion Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, asking for greater diversity on the board of directors.
The proposal can be viewed here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1506307/000104746916011734/a2227858zdef14a.htm#do77201_item_6_stockholder_proposal_re__ite03530
Eugene Kung of West Coast Environmental Law, in Houston with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, will discuss the evolving legal and financial opposition to the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The AGM follows a meeting today of pipeline opponents from across North America, including those opposed to Kinder Morgan's Palmetto Pipeline and NorthEast Direct pipelines.
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN), the "People of the Inlet" are Coast Salish peoples who originated in the Pacific Northwest, particularly around the Salish Sea, which includes Puget Sound near Seattle, the Juan de Fuca Strait near Victoria, and the Georgia Straight near Vancouver, BC. In 2012, the TWN community voted unanimously to oppose the proposed TMX because of the grave threat it presents to their land of origin, spiritual identity and survival. www.sacredtrust.ca
For more information, or for interviews with SumOfUs, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust Initiative or West Coast Environmental Law, please contact Anna Zuccaro at 914-523-9145 or by email at press@sumofus.org.
SumOfUs is a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy. And we're not afraid to hold them to account when they don't. Barely a day goes by without a fresh corporate scandal making headlines. From polluting the environment to dodging taxes - when left unchecked, corporations don't let anything stand in the way of bigger profits. In an age of multinational companies that are bigger and richer than some countries, it can be easy to feel powerless. But there is a chink in their armor. The biggest corporations in the world rely on ordinary people to keep them in business. We are their customers, their employees, and often their investors. When we act together, we can be more powerful than they are. Together, our community of millions act as a global consumer watchdog - running and winning campaign
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