Urge Chevron to Clean Up its Oil Spill in the Amazon

In 1964, Texaco, now owned by Chevron, began drilling for oil in an area of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest called the Oriente. Home to various aboriginal civilizations, the Oriente had never been touched by big business and corporate agendas; naturally, the people of the region did not know what to expect when Texaco set up drilling stations around their homes. By 1964, the U.S. had already established strenuous guidelines and regulations for oil drilling practices. However, since oil had never been excavated in Ecuador before this time, there were no formal standards previously set by the Ecuadorian government with regards to safe drilling. Ecuadorian government officials mistakenly assumed Texaco would conduct its business in the same manner as required in the U.S. They were very wrong.

Upon its departure from the region in 1992, Texaco left behind a cataclysmal trail of destruction. Having used obsolete drilling tactics in order to save money, Texaco is responsible for the spillage of close to 19 billion gallons of oil. Much of this excess oil has found its way to main waterways, including streams and rivers the local people use for drinking, bathing, fishing, and cooking. The aftermath of the oil extraction has destroyed precious plant life, killed native animals, and rendered Ecuadorians cancer-ridden, prone to miscarriages, and immune deficient. Even today, almost 20 years later, Oriente residents are struggling to survive in the face of extreme poverty and hunger due to exceedingly depleted resources.

Having acquired Texaco (and the profits and assets associated with it) in 2001, Chevron is responsible for the damage Texaco inflicted. Yet Chevron refuses to admit any wrongdoing whatsoever. The oil conglomerate has repeatedly refuted the link between its operations in the rainforest and the current state of the environment there. It has also denied countless requests for a mass clean-up and monetary reparations that would fund treating the sick, providing food and clean water, and repairing damage to the region. Chevron has even gone so far as to claim no tangible connection between oil and cancer.

The people of the Ecuadorian rainforest desperately need your help in fighting for justice. Please sign the petition below imploring Chevron CEO John Watson to take responsibility for his company’s terrible mistakes and clean up its mess.