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Amazon Watch
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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2004-09-30
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Mitchell Anderson
415-487-9600
mitch(at)amazonwatch.org
Amazon Watch Calls on ChevronTexaco
to Address Cancer Outbreak in Ecuador
New Health Study Finds Child Cancer Rising Rapidly
in Area Where ChevronTexaco Operated
91 Child Cancer Cases Reported, Many Under Age of 5
Study Released During $6 Billion Lawsuit
San Francisco, CA — A study published by the prestigious International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, released during a historic $6 billion trial in Ecuador against ChevronTexaco (NYSE CVX), found that 91 children have been diagnosed with cancer, particularly leukemia, where Texaco (now ChevronTexaco) dumped millions of gallons of toxic waste in the South American country from 1971 to 1991.
The study also found that children under the age of 15 are three times more likely to contract leukemia in the area where Texaco operated than in other Amazonian provinces, and the risk of cancer in the area studied is highest among children under the age 4.
The numbers cited cover the years 1985 to 2000 and were derived from the National Cancer Registry in Ecuador, which only documents cases where the victims have seen a doctor that reports the cancer. The study indicates that the number of cases may be significantly higher as many people in Ecuador cannot afford medical care and do not see a doctor before death. The study also emphasized that in the affected area there are no hospitals with equipment to detect and treat cancer.
The authors of the study are Dr. Anna-Karin Hurtig, from Sweden, and Dr. Miguel San Sebastián, from Spain. The study is available at: http://www.ijoeh.com/index.html.
“This study cites irrefutable statistics to strongly suggest that the delayed impact of Texaco’s irresponsible drilling practices in Ecuador are killing innocent children in vast numbers,” said Shannon Wright, Associate Director of Amazon Watch, a non-profit organization that works to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend forest peoples. “Our fear is this number grossly underestimates the impact, and that many more children have died. ChevronTexaco fails to even mention the Ecuador disaster in its recently released Corporate Responsibility Report.”
The case is currently in trial in an Ecuador court, with a decision expected next year. It is the first trial in history where rainforest dwellers have gained legal jurisdiction over an American oil company.
"This is a powerful study that shows scientifically that infants are dying of cancer due to the oil contamination caused by Texaco," said Humberto Piaguaje, leader of the Secoya tribe, one of the five indigenous groups suing the company on behalf of a class of 30,000 victims.
David Russell, a North American environmental scientist who has studied the contaminated area, said: "This data confirms what experts have been warning would happen because of shoddy waste disposal practices by Texaco. Because the groundwater is contaminated, it is probable that hundreds more will die of cancer in the coming years if there is no clean-up."
Texaco left behind over 600 toxic waste pits in the area and dumped 4.3 million gallons of toxic water daily in the Amazonian provinces in Ecuador--approximately 30 billion gallons during the 20 years Texaco operated this region’s oil fields.
“This might be the worst oil disaster of all time,” stated Russell. “For example, the much publicized Exxon Valdez incident of 1989 spilled 10 million gallons, a fraction of what was dumped in Ecuador. In Ecuador, the dumping was done systematically to save money, while the Valdez disaster was an accident.”
Amazon Watch calls on ChevronTexaco to address the environmental and health impacts of its operations in Ecuador and will continue to host delegations of affected people to the company’s hometown of San Ramon, California.
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For more information, go to www.amazonwatch.org or contact the following:
Study Authors (in Sweden):
Dr. Anna-Karin Hurtig, akhurtig@hotmail.com; 011-46-90-194301
Dr. Miguel San Sebastian, miguel.sansebastian@epiph.umu.se; 011-46-90-194301
Other Resources:
David Russell (environmental scientist): 770-564-0139
Chuck Calmbacher (environmental scientist): 770-962-8498
Cristobal Bonifaz (lawyer for plaintiffs): 413-253-5626
Steven Donziger (lawyer for plaintiffs): sdonziger@yahoo.com; 917-566-2526
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