Historical News Releases & Statements

July 27, 2005

Scientific Analysis from the Judicial Site Inspections Prove No Risks to Health or the Environment Exist

Drinking Water Highly Contaminated from Human and Animal Waste, Not Petroleum Activities

Plaintiffs' Reports are Scientifically Flawed and Misleading

Texpet 1995 Remediation Program Proven Effective

SAN RAMON, CALIF. , July 27, 2005 -- Laboratory results from the 15 judicial site inspections expert reports filed with the Superior Court of Nueva Loja reveal that there is no risk to human health or the environment due to Texaco Petroleum Company (Texpet) operations before it exited the country in 1992, and that the company conducted an effective remediation effort in accordance with all applicable Ecuadorian and international environmental criteria.

"The science speaks for itself: To date all legitimate scientific analysis verifies the effectiveness of the Texpet remediation program. There is no health or environmental risk from petroleum residue at sites remediated by Texpet. Allegations have been proven groundless and false by good science," said Ricardo Reis Veiga, vice president general counsel, Latin America Products for Chevron. Veiga continued, "We look forward to completing all 122 inspections so that we can demonstrate beyond all doubt that Texpet acted appropriately and fulfilled all its obligations."

Sara McMillen, Chevron's senior scientific advisor for the case, said: "The experts submitting reports on behalf of Chevron, who were appointed by the Court at the request of the defendant, have met the highest scientific standards and used both Ecuadorian regulations and internationally accepted criteria to ensure that the results are accurate and fairly characterize the conditions in the Ecuadorian rainforest where Texpet operated 15 years ago. These experts have consistently found there is no risk from past petroleum operations to people, animals, or crops in the area. The drinking water at every site has met both WHO and USEPA drinking water standards for hydrocarbons and heavy metals. However, the fact that people's water is contaminated with fecal waste which poses a serious health threat, but these conditions have nothing to do with the oil industry."

Superior Court President Efraín Novillo is scheduled to conduct a total of 122 inspections in connection with an environmental lawsuit filed against the company.

INSPECTION STATUS
  • Timing: Inspections begun: August 2004
  • Scope: 122 Sites to be inspected
  • Status: 20 Inspections completed
CHEVRON EXPERT REPORTS PLAINTIFFS EXPERT REPORTS
15 expert reports submitted 13 Plaintiff expert reports submitted
418 samples taken, tested and reported by Chevron technical experts 179 samples collected by plaintiffs' technical experts
47 drinking water samples (Two surface water samples are counted as drinking water samples because a homeowner living next to surface water stream uses the stream for drinking water.) 6 drinking water samples collected, only 3 tested and reported
26 surface water samples 10 surface water samples collected, only 5 tested and reported
132 soil samples tested and reported from Texpet remediated Sites 163 total soil samples collected, only 77 tested and reported
216 soil samples tested and reported outside Texpet remediated sites
FINDINGS TO DATE
There is no risk to public health or environment from oilfield operations
  • No Risk: Laboratory Analysis Proves There is no Health Risk from Petroleum to People Exposed to the Rivers, Swamps, Soils, Groundwater, or Drinking Water Surrounding Sites Resulting from Texpet's operations.
    • All drinking water samples meet international standards for all petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylenes, (BTEX), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals
    • All surface water meets international drinking water standards for petroleum hydrocarbons.
    • All hydrocarbon residue found in Texpet remediated pits is typical of remediated pits, highly weathered, immobile, and does not present a threat to public health or the environment. Plaintiffs' attorneys and their supporters are mischaracterizing the purpose of remediation. Remediation does not mean the removal of every trace of hydrocarbons but rather the removal of conditions that may pose a risk to human health or the environment.
    • All hydrocarbon residue found in Texpet remediated pits is highly weathered, immobile, and does not present a threat to public health or the environment.
    • BTEX, PAHs and metals are at safe levels in soils in all Texpet remediated pits.
Animal and human waste in the local water supply poses the most serious health threat
  • Highly Elevated Concentrations of Coliform Bacteria in the Local Water Supply Found in All Drinking Water Samples Analyzed: There is a proven association between these bacteria and illnesses reported in the Amazon. Guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO), state that this type of bacteria poses a serious hazard to the health of persons who use such water for consumption or personal hygiene. The presence of coliform bacteria is not related to oilfield activities.
Plaintiff's reports scientifically flawed and misleading
  • Claims of Environmental Contamination Contradicted by Plaintiffs' own Technical Data Plaintiffs fail to sample and analyze drinking water wells and streams at most sites, but when they have they too have found that drinking water meets all WHO and USEPA drinking water standards.
  • Irrelevant and Unsubstantiated Improper Sampling Methods Lead to Flawed Conclusions. Muddy samples from standing water in open holes were collected and called "ground water samples". Any environmental scientist recognizes that these types of samples will give false results and cannot possibly be used to determine the quality of ground water.
  • In Violation of Court Order, Not All Samples Collected Are Being Analyzed or Presented in Reports. In any legitimate scientific study, all results would have been tested and analyzed. Thus it is clear that plaintiffs' observations are biased, and reflect only data supporting pre-ordained conclusions. They have even submitted one 115 page report with no data at all, but "infer" their conclusions about adverse environmental impacts and health risks.
  • Irresponsible Accusations of Potential Public Health Impact. Reports falsely infer the mere presence of any hydrocarbon or metal is a threat to public health. These accusations ignore basic scientific principles of risk evaluation -- a risk can only exist if a substance is present in sufficient concentrations, and if there are exposure routes through which people may come in contact with the substance.
Texaco Petroleum's Remediation Program Proven Effective
  • Laboratory Data Presented to Court Validates Effectiveness of the 1995-98 Texpet Remediation Program. All samples taken at Texpet remediated sites demonstrate that the GOE requirements were met as well as criteria in the other Latin American countries and the United States. There is no need for additional remediation, except for in those areas where Petroecuador has had spills or have not met their responsibilities for pit remediation.

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