NEW YORK -- Drilling for oil without adequate safeguards is one of the most destructive industrial activities both for people and for the environment. This danger has been particularly stark in the case of oil exploration and exploitation in the forested areas of the Amazon basin.
From 1964 to 1992, Texaco (which later merged with Chevron and now is called ChevronTexaco) carried out these activities in the Ecuador area of the Amazon. Accused of polluting significant portions of the Amazon region, ChevronTexaco is now facing a multibillion-dollar law suit. The outcome of this battle may demonstrate how far U.S.-based multinational companies can be held accountable for their deeds.
Drilling for oil produces several substances and waste products, which are stored in special pits. If these pits are not properly lined, toxic materials can contaminate surrounding areas. Once toxic waste leaks into water basins, rivers and lakes, it kills fish and makes people and livestock ill, at times threatening their very survival.