Environmental Impacts
In 1964, Texaco arrived in a pristine rainforest environment. In 1990, Texaco left it a shocking mess, the worst oil-related environmental disaster on the planet. Conditions have only worsened since then. State oil company Petroecuador inherited Texaco's obsolete infrastructure and continued to operate it. Chevron, which purchased Texaco in 2001, continues to draw out legal proceedings that have lasted over 15 years, and refuses to fund an adequate environmental cleanup.
From the outset, Texaco deliberately chose to use obsolete technology and substandard environmental controls. Texaco took advantage of limited Ecuadorian government oversight, and abused the trust of Ecuadorian oil officials, who assumed that an American oil major would employ the same state-of-the-art technology in Ecuador that it had developed and used at home.
Environmental degradation from Texaco's operations has devastated a unique tropical forest ecosystem. It has ruined a way of life, rendering it nearly impossible for indigenous peoples to practice their traditional modes of subsistence. Pollution from crude oil and related wastes has also created a vast public health crisis throughout the Texaco concession area.
Texaco's impact on the environment takes several forms. The major sources of contamination from its operations are:
- 18 billion gallons of wastewater, called "produced water," dumped into surface streams.
- The construction of 916 open-air, unlined toxic waste pits in the forest floor.
- Release of contaminants through gas flaring, burning, and spreading oil on roads.
