Upstream | October 10, 2010 | 25 comments

Chevron Toxic Waste Pit in Ecuador: Designed to Pollute

treewolf39
Amazon Watch's Mitch Anderson shows us how toxic waste pits built by Texaco (now Chevron) around the company's oil drilling sites in Ecuador are designed to pollute, and continue to spread oil contamination in the Amazon rainforest environment. A large waste pit at 'Agua Rico 4' oil well in northeastern Ecuador has an overflow pipe which allows toxins to flow out of the pit when it rains (which it frequently does) and into nearby streams and rivers depended upon by local residents for drinking and bathing.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Upstream,   Water Is Life,   Indigenous
  2. tags:
    Pollution,  Rainforests,  Chevron
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25 comments // Chevron Toxic Waste Pit in Ecuador: Designed to Pollute // Video

  • KSirys
    • +1
      KSirys  

    • Why hasn't the President of Ecuador arrested these bastards??? I would have arrested them, took all of their property (including oil) and help the people.... you know the government is involved if nothing has happened..

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
    • 0
      treewolf39  
    • KSirys:

      The culprits left the country years ago. The corporations are still active.... Actively trying to cover their asses in court. I see it as a crime against all humanity!

    • 1 year ago
  • coldmtn
    • 0
      coldmtn  
    • Image
    • KSirys:

      Yes, as treewolf39 explains, Chevron/Texaco left years ago (abandoning hundreds of toxic waste pits that continue to poison the environment) and now Chevron faces a class action lawsuit in Ecuador's courts. Unfortunately, Chevron is one of the largest companies on the planet and is using its deep pockets and political influence to wage an aggressive and deceptive legal & PR campaign to evade accountability. Learn more by visiting www.ChevronToxico.com!

    • 1 year ago
  • artemis6
  • covertops
    • +1
      covertops  

    • poor ecuador. what a beautiful country. it may be 3rd world, but I love that place. Riobumba and Cuenca are must sees. got the chance to live there when in grade school. was nice to be naive, saddens me how it actually is...

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  

    • i love how no shortage of stuff like this exists, and simultaniously the right wants to tell us the evils of regualtion.if these places had regulation, they wouldnt have toxic waste hmmmmmmmmmmm.

      i guess the lax regulation of bopal had nothing to do with thier disaster either, just a strange reoccuring coincidence

    • 1 year ago
  • coldmtn
    • +1
      coldmtn  
    • Image

    • There is a monumental class-action lawsuit by 30,000 Ecuadorians to hold Chevron (formerly Texaco) accountable for its devastation in the Amazon, demanding cleanup of the contamination and compensation for the damages to their communities and environment. You can learn more about that fight by visiting www.ChevronToxico.com or the www.ChevroninEcuador.com blog.

    • 1 year ago
  • GeorgeCarlin77
    • +1
      GeorgeCarlin77  

    • Yep, that is the sad part, not even those who did this could clean it up.......we cant even get it out of the gulf........and we have the best minds on the jobs....or at least we should.....Its a real bad economy.

      In the Eyes of the rich....Has their government seen 100K?......they have no government to come down on us.....lets make some more money!
      The Third World = Free Dump?

      If they don't care about pissing our government off, then who is safe.....Big business runs this shit. Their "Extra profits" from cutting Ethical corners stain
      our Planet!

      We are "The Pollutions"?
      Biological Magnification is a Mother F@#%er

    • 1 year ago
  • ImConcerned
  • treewolf39
  • idealist
  • treewolf39
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  

    • Notice there has also been no verdict in this case yet even though it was stated it was going to be resolved last year. This is a travesty.

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
  • JanforGore
  • Acoltus
    • +1
      Acoltus  

    • You know, somehow I doubt that Texaco *designed* those pits to pollute... What they did was despicable and short-sighted, but I don't think they would intentionally pollute for shits and giggles.

    • 1 year ago
  • idealist
  • treewolf39
  • Acoltus
  • treewolf39
    • 0
      treewolf39  
    • Acoltus:

      The pipe in the ground makes it look like it was designed. That was the part that blew me away. Why the pipe from a toxic pit to a natural drainage? My five year old would be able to see the problem with that.

    • 1 year ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • +5
      MotherForTruth  

    • Destruction of all life on Ecuador so Americans can continue driving SUVs. Did I get that right? Is't is like sitting on the tree blanch while cutting the tree?

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
  • MotherForTruth
  • jubal
    • +3
      jubal  

    • That is profoundly tragic and sad...it broke my heart to see it presented that way. It is very well done.

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
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