Texaco has not denied that it dumped millions of gallons of toxic waste water on a daily basis. Its only defenses seem to be that the waste pits complied with Ecuadoran laws in effect at the time, and were in conformity with industry standards. Both of these defenses run contrary to the weight of the evidence, which might explain why Texaco is battling fiercely to keep the case out of court.

Instead of pumping the substances back into emptied wells, the Texaco subsidiary bumped them in local rivers, directly into landfills or spread them on the local dirt roads.


Impact on Residents

While the waste disposal process might have allowed Texaco to save money, it wrecked the rainforest environment and pushed three indigenous tribes — the Cofan, the Secoya, and the Siona — to the brink of extinction. The contamination also flowed down river, affecting the health and livelihood of thousands of residents who live along the Napo River in Peru (these residents have filed a separate lawsuit against Texaco in federal court in New York).

As a result of Texaco's dumping, an estimated 50,000 persons from both countries are exposed to a dramatically increased risk of disease, including cancer; the wetlands are contaminated with oil; the growth of livestock is stunted; vegetation is withering; and children playing outside, many of whom suffer rashes from exposure to the oil, are regularly smeared with grease and have no way to clean themselves except with gasoline-soaked rags.

Many families must spend hours each day searching for drinkable water, or hunting for animals, leading many to abandon their traditional lands. Rivers that for centuries provided sustenance to indigenous tribes have been rendered useless as sources of nourishment.

  
                           

The Indians alleged that they and their families suffered various injuries, including poisoning and development of:

precancerous growths.

many pools of oil left behind,

small animals fall in to the pools and die.

wells, streams contaminated

almost all the species of fish do not exist

have to wash their clothes in contaminated rivers

it's their only water

water is full of strong chemicals - that create fumes

can't drink water from the rivers

skin disease

infected boils in feet & fungus

cows die, bulls die, fish die

©Lou Dematteis

One of the estimated 300 toxic waste pits built by Texaco in the Ecuadoran Amazon. The stream of water leading into the pit contains life-threatending levels of carcinogens such as Benzene, Toluene, and Polyciclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. These pits are unlined, allowing their contents to contaminate the area's water supply and disrupt the fragile ecosystem.

Dumping toxic waste water into a creek. Each gallon of marketable crude oil produces a gallon of toxic waste water. In the United States and elsewhere, Texaco reinjected the toxic waste water thousands of feet into the ground, where it could not threaten the environment. In Ecuador, Texaco dumped the toxic waste water into unlined pits it gouged out of the topsoil next to each of its wells.