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January 07, 2009

Chernobyl in the Jungle

Posted by Elaisha Stokes at 03:40 PM ET

Looking for an adventurous and educational holiday to beat the winter blues? Why not tour the chaos and misery of the mess Texaco Oil left behind in the Amazon Basin. For the last fifteen years Chevron Corp, which acquired Texaco Oil in 2001, has been in a deadlock legal battle with the citizens of Lago Agrigo, Ecuador. With the case against the oil giant is set to conclude latter this year, locals are busying themselves touring the public around the toxic waste dump they now call home.

Among the claims against Texaco Oil:
1. Soaking dirt roads with crude to keep down the dust
2. Encouraging local oilfield workers to smoother their legs and scalp with crude
3. Dumping 18 billion gallons of wastewater into unlined waste pits
4. Burning natural gas and solid waste, resulting in deadly air pollution

The result has been over 1400 deaths from cancer in the tiny community, nearly twice Ecuador’s national rate. While it’s impossible to predict who will win the legal battle, local experts believe the payout from Chevron could be as high as $27.3 billion.

For more on this story and other eco-catastrophe, check out forecast earth.

More entries on: Environment | From the intern desk | Global politics | Human rights | Planet Earth

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Reader comments:

interesting. but burning natural gas doesnt cause cancer, and people put oil on dusty roads all over the world. anyway, i have no doubt the multi-national oil companies have severely fucked this region. I hope the community wins.

Posted by: malcolm at January 7, 2009 06:23 PM

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Agree that natural gas isn't an air pollutant (Co2 aside), but the article says "Burning natural gas and solid waste", which probably mean's they're using natural gas to fuel an incinerator of sorts, which is what's causing the air pollution.

Posted by: bill at January 7, 2009 06:45 PM

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Although clearly a disaster, the oiling of dirt roads in common worldwide and was done until pretty recently in our own backyard in Ontario.

Posted by: peter at January 7, 2009 07:11 PM

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Yeah, but oil on bare feet - whether common or not - is still bad new bears. Just because it's done the world over, doesn't make it right.

Posted by: elaisha at January 10, 2009 11:59 PM

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