Members of an indigenous group in Peru are suing Occidental Petroleum Corp., claiming the company's oil production operations in the Andean nation resulted in toxic levels of pollution that left many people sick or at risk of serious illness.
The complaint was brought by 25 Achuar Indians who claimed they suffered health problems from cancer to lead poisoning, due to exposure to contaminants from Occidental's oil production operation. The suit seeks class-action status, unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
According to the lawsuit, Occidental discharged millions of gallons of water used to process crude oil back into local waterways, flooding rivers with heavy metals, radioactive compounds and other harmful compounds. The Achuar's land was also exposed to contamination from chemical waste, which the company stored in unlined earthen pits.
Editor
Industry IDS
Please send in your feedback to editor@industryids.com
To exhibit on IDS-Environment e-mail:
david.steele@industryids.com
Tel: +1-866-350-1938
Fax: +1-312-893-2114
