Name: US climate activists charged with 'terrorizing' lobbyist over plastic pollution stunt
Brand: theguardian.com
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US climate activists charged with 'terrorizing' lobbyist over plastic pollution stunt

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This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldAnne Rolfes and Kate McIntosh face up to 15 years in prison after delivering box of plastic pellets found as pollution Last modified on Tue 24 Nov 2020 16.01 ESTEnvironmental activists opposing a plastics manufacturing facility in have been booked with a felony for “terrorizing” an oil and gas lobbyist by delivering a box of plastic pellets found as pollution in bays on the Texas coast.Anne Rolfes and Kate McIntosh, with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, turned themselves into the Baton Rouge police department on Thursday, as first reported by .The charges stem from a plastic pollution awareness event in December called “Nurdlefest”, which focused on the impacts of an expansive petrochemical and plastics complex approved to be built by Formosa in St James Parish.Nurdles are the plastic pellets used to make plastic products. The Guardian has extensively covered the activism in its Cancer Town from Reserve, Louisiana.The offenses are punishable with up to 15 years in prison. The advocates’ lawyer, Pam Spees, with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said the charges have no merit and seem to be meant to discourage protesters.The complaint against the two activists alleges they intended to cause fear in dropping off a package at the residence of an unnamed oil and gas lobbyist, Spees said. The file folder contained plastic pellets and information about the harm they on the environment and human health. Spees said the activists also included a warning that the small plastic pellets could be a choking hazard for children.The Baton Rouge police department spokesman Don Coppola said “a note was observed on the top of the package indicating not to open the container as the contents could be hazardous”, and police requested Hazmat officials to be contacted.Spees argued the package was “obviously not intended to scare – it was intended to raise awareness and also show very tangible evidence, in the literal sense of the word, because it was evidence in Texas of the company’s track record”.Formosa has agreed to pay $50m to settle a lawsuit for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act by discharging plastic pellets into bays from its plant in Point Comfort, Texas.A spokesperson for the Formosa project, Janile Parks, said it was “unaware that this action was going to be taken by the Baton Rouge police department and had only heard second hand that deliveries of plastic pellets were made to several personal residences in the Baton Rouge area some months ago”.Sharon Lavigne, who cofounded the local group Rise St James to oppose the plant, said police also threatened her with arrest when she visited a Formosa property to lay flowers on grounds where slaves are .“They want to silence us, but it’s not going to happen,” Lavigne said.

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldAnne Rolfes and Kate McIntosh face up to 15 years in prison after delivering box of plastic pellets found as pollution Last modified on Tue 24 Nov 2020 16.01 ESTEnvironmental activists opposing a plastics manufacturing facility in have been booked with a felony for “terrorizing” an oil and gas lobbyist by delivering a box of plastic pellets found as pollution in bays on the Texas coast.Anne Rolfes and Kate McIntosh, with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, turned themselves into the Baton Rouge police department on...

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Emily Holden

TheGuardian.com, formerly known as Guardian.co.uk and Guardian Unlimited, is a British news and media website owned by the Guardian Media Group. It contains nearly all of the content of the newspapers The Guardian and The Observer, as well as a substantial body of web-only work produced by its own staff, including a rolling news service.

US climate activists charged with 'terrorizing' lobbyist over plastic pollution stunt

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