An independent panel of scientists has just confirmed the latest report from a court-appointed expert on damages done to Ecuador"s Amazon by Chevron. The company dumped the 18 billion gallons of toxic waste over an area of the Amazon rain forest "roughly the size of Rhode Island." Damages include contaminated groundwater and cancers caused to the people of Ecuador due to exposure hydrocarbons.

They said that any funds awarded by the courts would have to go into cleaning the soil, rivers, streams and groundwater over a 1,700 square mile area. That is, as far as I know, the largest toxic site in the world. And if it only costs shell $27 B to clean it up, I"d say that"s a pretty good number, considering the damage done.

The scientists estimated that the area has had roughly 1,400 more deaths from cancer than could be accounted for by natural causes.

The trial will be ruled sometime in 2009, the Chevron is questioning the validity of the entire Ecuadorian court system (which it once praised, back when they were pleased to use it instead of the United States court system.) We"ll see if they will actually have to pay for the damage they have caused.

Via Market Watch

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