Chevron’s history of denial, delay, and defamation in the Ecuadorian AmazonPosted by Guest author (Guest Contributor) at 11:18 AM on 31 Dec 2008Read more about: Ecuador | oil | energy | Big Oil | jackassery | health | water pollutionTools: print | email | + digg | + del.icio.us | + reddit | + stumbleuponThis is a guest post from Karen Hinton, spokesperson for the Amazon Defense Coalition, a group of Ecuadorians who have sued Chevron for oil contamination in the Amazon rainforest. The mission of the coalition is to protect the environment and secure social justice through grassroots organizing, political advocacy, and litigation.—–It has been 15 years since a group of Ecuadorian indigenous people filed a lawsuit against Texaco for oil contamination, resulting from 26 years of substandard oil extraction efforts. In those years, Texaco — acquired by Chevron in 2001 — consistently has denied responsibility, delayed justice, and defamed the Ecuadorian people who need help the most. In other words, the oil giant has acted like most people expect Big Oil companies to act — like bullies — instead of the good corporate citizens that Chevron’s advertising campaigns like to portray.Meanwhile, the Ecuadorians living in Texaco’s former dumping ground suffer every day. Texaco released over 18 billion gallons of oil and toxic water into the rainforest from 1964 to 1990. Experts indicate that over 1,000 people have died from cancer. Spontaneous abortions are two to three times more likely to occur in the concession area than in other parts of Ecuador. It’s almost impossible to find a family not touched by the illnesses.Until you see the extent of the contamination, it is hard to believe. Almost 1,000 pits the size of large swimming pools scar an area the size of Rhode Island. Texaco built the pits to dump the remaining oil and toxic water after drilling. To reduce costs, Texaco violated standard industry practice and never lined the pits. As a resul...