Environment

Amnesty Blames Shell for Oil Pollution Cover Ups in Nigeria

by Barbara McPherson | July 3, 2009 at 05:07 pm

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A report released on Thursday by Amnesty International, Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta points an accusing finger at Royal Dutch Shell for covering up oil spills in Nigeria. The Group is claiming that Shell is using the civil unrest in the Niger Delta to cover up spills due to faulty equipment. Shell is the largest operator in the Niger Delta. It is disputing the report, blaming civil unrest and sabotage.

The report, Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta, released here on Thursday, says the contamination has damaged farmland, destroyed fish stocks and polluted the air and water, while oil companies' responses have been misleading or inadequate.

Oil revenues have brought about $600 billion dollars to Nigeria since 1958 but there seems to be little 'trickle down' effect to the people living in the Niger Delta. They have had to cope with ongoing pollution from the oil industry, which has contaminated drinking water and killed off fish.

Nigeria's own watchdog reports that there are 2 000 current spills, the majority from Shell operations.

The report highlights a spill at Bodo, in Ogoniland, last August caused by a pipeline leak. Oil poured into the swamp, covering the area in a thick slick and killing fish. Local people's access to food and water was devastated.

National Geographic Magazine ran an article regarding the Niger Delta and the effect of the oil industry. At that time a vivid picture was painted of the state of the Niger Delta.

Groups of hungry, half-naked children and sullen, idle adults wander dirt paths. There is no electricity, no clean water, no medicine, no schools. Fishing nets hang dry; dugout canoes sit unused on muddy banks. Decades of oil spills, acid rain from gas flares, and the stripping away of mangroves for pipelines have killed off fish.

There is no doubt that armed men have attacked pipelines and oil platforms, killing people during their actions. Frustration and anger at being left behind in the oil boom pushes the violence.

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Paschen

at 00:20 on July 4th, 2009

I know that Shell issued two force majeur in the past 12 month, meanning that they will not be able to honour their contracts due to events out of their control and both where the sabotaging of their oil pipelines that caused major environmental disasters and many death in civilian population. However, the causes where social injustices, a corrupt Government, collecting oil royalties and living way be on any once wildest dreams to a point that even the Saudi's look poor in the way they spend their fortunes.

The people are fighting this injustice.