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Jacqueline Chalmers's avatar

Enlightening but wearisome and worrisome. My eternal question is, "how much is enough?"

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Meagan Smith's avatar

What I don't get is why back down over Fear of a lawsuit? I thought lawyers liked to argue. What if the numbers crunched for the amount of damage, reclamation and correction one would need to offset the damage of stripping a mountain was lesser than the threatened lawsuit? Especially for a guesstimate quantity of coal? Businesses are risky, looking for a guarantee by bullying seems weak. And even mid court battle could an acceptable settlement happen to make the greedy corporation back off?

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Pietro Wislon's avatar

Investor State Dispute Settlements were originally brought into treaties by former colonizing countries to ensure the newly independent colony would not nationalise the industry.

Keep those profits flowing to the coloniser.

A international corporate capitalist tool just like the newer "Deferred Prosecution Agreement".

Got to protect the corporation at all costs, environment be damned!

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Erik Fischer's avatar

Why do you only talk about foreign coal interests and not other foreign interests?

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Robert Costa's avatar

Because coal is the focus of this column. Coal started it.

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Erik Fischer's avatar

Hmm. Interesting approach.

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