19 Jun 2006

The Shushufindi-8 Expert Report Found No Unsafe Levels of Petroleum-Related Materials at this Site and that Texpet Fulfilled its Remediation Commitment

QUITO, Ecuador, June 19, 2006 - Laboratory results from the Shushufindi-8 judicial site inspection confirm there are no petroleum-related public health risks at the site. In fact, the results found that no water or soil samples contained petroleum related-chemicals at levels that would pose a risk to people, animals or plants. The inspection, conducted on March 10, 2005, was undertaken as part of an environmental suit filed against Chevron Corporation.

The main conclusions of the Shushufindi 8 (SSF-8) well site Judicial Inspection are detailed in the report and are summarized as follows:

  • At the SSF-8 well site, Texpet fulfilled its remediation commitment. One pit area was remediated in 1996, as agreed to in the government-approved Remedial Action Plan (RAP). The laboratory analyses of soil samples taken from inside the remediated pit area yielded results that met the cleanup criteria agreed upon with the Government of Ecuador and Petroecuador.
  • Laboratory analyses of surface water used for drinking water in this area demonstrate that the levels of petroleum-related compounds (e.g., PAH, BTEX) and metals are below laboratory detection limits or well below applicable drinking water criteria, proving that local drinking water is not impacted and that there is no crude oil residue migrating into nearby streams. The SSF 8 inspection confirms that there is no evidence of impacts to soils or surface water and no evidence of produced water and/or crude oil discharges to the surroundings or to the neighboring water bodies.
  • The Judicial Inspection Expert Report also evaluated the Petroecuador-Texaco Consortium's pit construction practices. Based on all available information, the pits at the SSF-8 well site were constructed in a manner similar to sites in other countries during that time period. In fact, earthen pits are still being used in nearby countries, such as Venezuela. This evaluation was based on a review of information from organizations such as the Regional Association of Oil and Natural Gas Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARPEL) in 1992, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and government agencies in petroleum-producing countries (e.g., USEPA or Venezuelan regulations), since there were no international or Ecuadorian technical standards for pit design, construction and operation at the time such pits were installed by the Consortium.

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