11 Nov 2004

Judicial Inspection of Sacha-57 Proves Quality of Environmental Remediation Conducted by Texaco

NUEVA LOJA, Ecuador, November 11, 2004 - The judicial inspection of Sacha-57 took place today at a site remediated by Texaco Petroleum Company (Texpet). In 1996, the company remediated two oil pits, one dry pit, an area of affected soil, and a small oil spill. The abundance of vegetation, trees and undergrowth - not to mention cattle - now present at the site, reflect no oil impact. The inspection was conducted by the Efraín Novillo, President of the Superior Court of Nueva Loja as part of an environmental lawsuit filed against ChevronTexaco.

Among the Highlights:

  • Counsel for ChevronTexaco, Adolfo Callejas, brought the Court's attention to the fact that plaintiffs acknowledge that Texpet conducted an effective remediation at Sacha-57, as witnessed by documents they had presented as evidence. Callejas added, "That is why any risk of environmental damage or contamination found today can only be attributed to PetroEcuador."
  • During the inspection of the remediated areas, Callejas described the techniques used to complete the remediation at Sacha-57, including surfactant enhanced recover (or "soil washing") and in-situ stabilization, which seek to render the crude incapable of causing significant impacts on people or the environment."
  • Callejas added that ChevronTexaco is sure that the analysis being conducted, using accepted methods and techniques, will demonstrate that any existing petroleum falls within the standards established by the Government of Ecuador when the remediation took place, and which are also accepted by that body now.
  • Callejas explained to the Court, "the goal of environmental remediation, as it is understood and practiced in many parts of the world, isn't necessarily to ensure that one can't find even the smallest particle of crude oil, but rather to mitigate the contamination so that the site is left in such a way that it does not affect the health of people or the environment."
  • Finally, responding to accusations by plaintiffs that Texpet had not used accepted operating practices, Callejas asked the President of the Superior Court to take in account other factors that have influenced environmental changes in the Amazon, such as colonization, the development of agricultural and livestock activities in the region, the indiscriminate cutting of trees for commercial purposes, the use of chemicals to fertilize and cultivate plantations, and the growth of cities in the region.

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