Sierra Club | 1 October 2015

Corporate rights in trade agreements: Attacking the environment and community values

U.S. company Bilcon used “investor-state dispute settlement” (ISDS) rules in NAFTA — which empower foreign corporations to sue governments in private trade tribunals over policies that corporations allege frustrate their business expectations — to attack Nova Scotia’s decision that the proposed open-pit mining project was too damaging for the local community and the environment to proceed. Bilcon is currently seeking at least $300 million in compensation from Canadian taxpayers.

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