20 Feb 2006
Locked Doors Prevent Judge from Inspecting Laboratory Used by Plaintiffs
Special Judicial Inspection was Requested by Chevron to Investigate Laboratory's Technical Capability, Competency and Credentials
QUITO, February 20, 2006 - Havoc, the laboratory used by the plaintiffs technical experts in the environmental trial against Texaco, ignored the authority of the Court and locked its doors preventing a Special Judicial Inspection last Friday. The Special Judicial Inspection had been requested by Chevron to determine if the laboratory is capable of accurately performing the work it has been doing for the plaintiffs' technical experts and if it is a properly accredited laboratory.
Havoc had been previously instructed by the court to make the facility available for a Special Judicial Inspection that was to be conducted at 10 a.m. last Friday, Feb. 17. However, when the Judge and the members of the Court arrived to inspect the laboratory in Quito the doors were locked. No one from Havoc responded to calls to grant access to the Judge.
According to Sara McMillen, Chevron's senior scientific advisor, "We have very serious concerns about the quality and consistency of Havoc Laboratories' results and their ability to provide accurate and thorough analysis to the Court. The fact that Havoc's doors were locked during a normal business day when they knew they were going to be inspected is very suspicious and it ignores a judicial order. Havoc was well aware that the Judge was coming to inspect the facility. We are concerned that this may be an effort to impede the court from investigating the laboratory."
Laboratory results and the reports of Chevron's technical experts for the first 23 Judicial Site Inspections submitted to the Superior Court of Nueva Loja demonstrate that Texaco Petroleum Company (Texpet) carried out an effective remediation program and there is no risk to human health or the environment resulting from Texpet's former operations. Texpet turned over operations to Petroecuador in 1990, and exited the country in 1992.
When the Judicial Site Inspections began in 2004, the plaintiffs hired the services of the Catholic University Laboratory in Quito. Without any apparent reason they began using Havoc Laboratories in Quito in 2005. The plaintiffs have used Havoc Laboratories for water and soil analysis in the last eight Judicial Inspections.
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