Chevron Botched Remediation In Ecuador, According To Video Circulating On Internet

Amazon Defense Coalition: Chevron Botched Remediation In Ecuador, According To Video Circulating On Internet
Source: Business Wire
Nov. 2, 2010

Well Site Tested At Ten Times Above Legal Limit, But Chevron Says It Is Clean

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A video making its way around the internet presents definitive proof that Chevron is engaging in fraud in Ecuador by leaving behind toxic waste pits that it claims to have remediated, say representatives of the indigenous communities suing the oil giant for billions of dollars in clean-up costs.

The video, produced by the environmental group Amazon Watch, presents visual evidence of the intentional dumping of billions of gallons of oil and toxic formation water by Chevron in Ecuador’s Amazon region. Chevron operated a large oil concession there from 1964 to 1990.

The lawsuit, with the top end of damages estimated at $113 billion, accuses Chevron of dumping billions of gallons of toxic “water of formation” into the environment and of abandoning hundreds of waste pits filled with oil sludge that still leech toxins into the soils and waters of the rainforest.

“Chevron has told U.S. federal judges that it is not responsible for the contamination seen in the video even though Chevron built, operated and closed the oil site that is obviously causing harm to the environment,” said Karen Hinton, spokesperson for the Ecuadorians.

More:
http://www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachPressRelease.aspx?cid=28518&codi=205959&lr=1

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Aguarico 4

:(

The area which used to be operated by Chevron is now operated by Ecopetrol, the state oil company. Which means it has had 20 years to do what Chevron was doing before it left. So the question is, how does a court assign the blame to Chevron and then to Ecopetrol, in a fair division of liability? Ecopetrol is well known for not respecting the environment.