It is instructive to recall just how intractable, unrelenting, and unreformed the exploitation industries can be when they are called upon to take legal responsibility for the havoc they reek on the environment. The NRDC has been fighting Texaco for nineteen years in federal court over the illegal dumping of toxic hydrocarbon waste from it's refinery into the Delaware River. The environmental advocacy group is now headed into its fourth trial against the oil giant. After three courtroom victories by NRDC, Texaco was fined $1.68 million for violating the Clean Water Act on 3,360 days. The company eventually paid the fine under pressure. It was also ordered to fully assess the damage the pollution caused to the Delaware River ecosystem. A multivolume damage report was finally completed last year which concluded that the ecosystem was harmed, but that the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons did not come from it's refinery. NRDC's science expert thinks the chemicals are directly traceable to Texaco's refinery, and that Texaco may have manipulated the data to absolve itself of responsibility. The court has directed it's own independent expert to determine whether Texaco "cooked the books". According to NRDC's litigation director, "Texaco has waged a war of attrition clearly hoping that [we] would run out of money and go away". If you want to help NRDC fight the good fight, go to their website and become a supporting member like me. The contribution is tax deductible.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
To The Bitter End
It is instructive to recall just how intractable, unrelenting, and unreformed the exploitation industries can be when they are called upon to take legal responsibility for the havoc they reek on the environment. The NRDC has been fighting Texaco for nineteen years in federal court over the illegal dumping of toxic hydrocarbon waste from it's refinery into the Delaware River. The environmental advocacy group is now headed into its fourth trial against the oil giant. After three courtroom victories by NRDC, Texaco was fined $1.68 million for violating the Clean Water Act on 3,360 days. The company eventually paid the fine under pressure. It was also ordered to fully assess the damage the pollution caused to the Delaware River ecosystem. A multivolume damage report was finally completed last year which concluded that the ecosystem was harmed, but that the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons did not come from it's refinery. NRDC's science expert thinks the chemicals are directly traceable to Texaco's refinery, and that Texaco may have manipulated the data to absolve itself of responsibility. The court has directed it's own independent expert to determine whether Texaco "cooked the books". According to NRDC's litigation director, "Texaco has waged a war of attrition clearly hoping that [we] would run out of money and go away". If you want to help NRDC fight the good fight, go to their website and become a supporting member like me. The contribution is tax deductible.