Groundhog Day with State Dept conflicts of interest

Friends of the Earth president Erich Pica alleges that the US State Department has displayed gross negligence and a pro-pipeline bias in the Keystone XL review process. The organization claims the State Department hired Environmental Resources Management (ERM), a firm with deep ties to the oil industry, to conduct a review that subsequently glossed over climate impacts. Pica calls for Secretary of State Kerry to investigate the awarding of the contract to ERM and to ensure that scientific concerns regarding tar sands development are incorporated into the environmental impact statement.

• Friends of the Earth alleges that the US State Department has a history of failing to vet contractors for conflicts of interest in the Keystone XL review, citing a previous instance with the firm Cardio Entrix and a current instance with Environmental Resources Management (ERM).
• The document claims the State Department's review of the Keystone XL pipeline is biased toward the oil industry, resulting in a report that ignores significant climate and environmental effects, a conclusion allegedly supported by the oil industry and some members of Congress but rejected by the EPA and the scientific community.
• Friends of the Earth asserts that TransCanada and Alberta have employed lobbyists, including former advisers to President Obama and Secretary Kerry, to influence the administration to approve the pipeline.
• The organization urges Secretary of State Kerry to use his authority to investigate the awarding of the review contract to ERM and to produce an environmental impact statement that incorporates scientific concerns regarding tar sands development.

APA

Pica, E. (2013). Groundhog Day with State Dept conflicts of interest. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/blog/2013-06-groundhog-day-with-state-dept-conflicts-of-interest/

Chicago

Pica, Erich. Groundhog Day with State Dept conflicts of interest. Friends of the Earth, 2013. https://foe.org/blog/2013-06-groundhog-day-with-state-dept-conflicts-of-interest/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Pica |first1=Erich |title=Groundhog Day with State Dept conflicts of interest |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=11 June 2013 |url=https://foe.org/blog/2013-06-groundhog-day-with-state-dept-conflicts-of-interest/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{pica2013groundhog, author = {Pica, Erich}, title = {{Groundhog Day with State Dept conflicts of interest}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2013}, month = jun, url = {https://foe.org/blog/2013-06-groundhog-day-with-state-dept-conflicts-of-interest/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }