01 Mar 2007

Expert Report for Shushufindi-13 Finds that the Texaco Petroleum Remediation was Effective

Water Quality Meets Ecuadorian Norms And The Standards Of The World Health Organization And US Environmental Protection Agency

QUITO, Ecuador, 01 Mar 2007 – The Expert Report from the Shushufindi-13 judicial site inspection reported that Texaco Petroleum (Texpet) met its obligation to remediate two pits and a drainage area at the site and there are no risks to human health as a result of Texpet's former operations. The inspection, conducted on July 28, 2005, was undertaken as part of an environmental law suit filed against Chevron Corporation.

The main conclusions of the Shushufindi 13 (SSF-13) court ordered Judicial Inspection are detailed in the report and are summarized as follows:

  • The concentration of chemical compounds in soil samples taken from around the SSF-13 well site are well below levels that could pose a threat, confirming that there is no health risk exists in the areas remediated by Texpet. TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons), BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), and PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) were not detected in any soil sample collected at the site at levels posing an unsafe risk for human health. Traces of petroleum hydrocarbons were found in the remediated drainage area north of pits 1 and 2, but results show that the petroleum is highly degraded and stabilized and does not serve as a source for leaching of toxic compounds to surface water. Metals were detected at concentrations that are naturally occurring in the soil, and far below potentially harmful levels.
  • There is no impact on drinking water by petroleum operations. Samples of drinking water supplies collected at the site showed the water quality to meet the Ecuadorian norms and the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency existing at the time of the Texpet remediation for petroleum and metals. The only potential risk to health that was identified at well SSF-13 was due to the high levels of coliform bacteria found in the drinking water, which are not related to petroleum operations.

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