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CAFTA: Corporate America Free Trade Agreement?

Stop the undermining of years of environmental protections

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In May, the Bush Administration’s trade representatives signed the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Like the meetings of the Cheney energy task force, the slashing of Superfund funding and the rollback of Clinton’s Roadless Rule, this happened without much publicity. The Administration did not want people to know what it was doing, and here’s why:

CAFTA is NAFTA with a “C.” Under CAFTA, we could expect the same undermining of democracy by corporations, and the same threats to the environment. Under NAFTA, companies have sued the U.S. government over environmental and health protections. In a notorious ongoing case, the Canadian company Methanex is suing the U.S. for $970 million because California enacted a law that banned the gasoline additive MTBE—which has severely polluted drinking water in many California communities.

CAFTA Facilitates Corporate Bullying and Threatens Environmental Standards:

CAFTA would undermine California and U.S. law in favor of corporate profits. The agreement provides corporations with powerful tools to pressure governments to overturn or waive environmental and other public interest laws. The threat is all the more serious since U.S. companies would be able to open a subsidiary in another country, such as Guatemala, with weaker environmental protections in order to sue the U.S. and California over laws they don’t like. We must protect California’s right to pass and uphold trendsetting environmental protections.

What You Can Do

In order for CAFTA to become official, it must be approved by Congress. Please call or write Senator Dianne Feinstein and your Congressional Representative, urging them to oppose CAFTA. Also, write a letter to the editor (see our sample letter and contact info) to help build public awareness.

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3841

The Honorable [Your Representative]
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Find your representative at http://www.house.gov.

The following Representatives have been specifically identified as targets for this Alert. Call, fax, or email their offices (or mail to the above address):

Write a Letter!

See our sample letter and contact info for major newspapers.

Tell a Friend!

Send this page to someone you know who would like to help prevent CAFTA from undermining our state and federal environmental laws!

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