Climate Hawks Call on CalPERS to Divest from President Trump’s Dakota Access Disaster

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Feb. 8 -- Climate Hawks Vote issued the following news release:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has filed documents in court and with Congress notifying them that they are terminating the environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline and expediting its approval. Tribal leaders have vowed to fight Trump, and we will stand with them.

California's giant public pension fund - California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) - owns a major chunk of Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline, and its board is voting at a public meeting on Monday, February 13th, on whether to support a plan to divest from DAPL. Currently, they plan to oppose divestment.

Climate Hawks Vote is part of a growing coalition holding an emergency #NoDAPL rally in Sacramento on Monday to demand CalPERS divest from this Trump-approved, climate-killing disaster.

As of today, CalPERS owns 1,064,034 shares of Energy Transfer Partners worth $42.1 million. In addition, CalSTRS, the schoolteachers' retirement fund, owns debt securities (bonds) worth at least $28.7 million. The incoming Trump administration is ramming the project through -- but we don't have to be a part of it.

These pension funds are overseen by boards that include public officials, including California Treasurer John Chiang and Controller Betty Yee. Gov. Jerry Brown personally appoints many of the board members. These elected officials are directly accountable to the people of California and have a responsibility to all people to make ethical and responsible investments.

Unlike most of the investors in the Dakota Access Pipeline, they have to listen to the public -- if we speak out.

Over 24,000 members of Climate Hawks Vote are calling on Treasurer Chiang, Controller Yee, and the rest of the CalPERS board to divest from DAPL as part of an overall strategy of divestment from the fossil-fuel industry. We stand with the California Democratic Party, SEIU, AFSCME Local 57, and the millions of Americans who stand with the Standing Rock Sioux.

Specifically, we call on the CalPERS investment committee at its February 13th meeting at CalPERS headquarters, Lincoln Plaza North, 400 Q Street, Sacramento:

* To support full divestment from Dakota Access Pipeline companies, and vote to support AB-20, State Rep. Ash Kalra's divestment bill, in agenda item 6b (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/board-agendas/201702/invest/item06b-00.pdf); and

* To support full divestment from the fossil-fuel industry, and oppose the proposed revisions to the Total Fund Policy described in agenda item 8a (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/board-agendas/201702/invest/item08a-00.pdf).

The elected officials and other members of the CalPERS board need to choose whose side they're on, Trump's or ours.

* CHV petition: http://act.climatehawksvote.com/calpers_divest_from_dapl

* CalPERS February 13th meeting agenda: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/page/about/board/board-meetings/invest-201702

* February 13th rally RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tell-calpers-divest-from-dapl

* Facebook link to rally: https://www.facebook.com/events/1906511099581563/

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