Ecuador Court Rejects Chevron Arbitration Ruling, Reopening $18 Billion Fine For Amazon Pollution

[Judi Lynn]

Ecuador Court Rejects Chevron Arbitration Ruling, Reopening $18 Billion Fine For Amazon Pollution
Rachel Cernansky
Energy / Energy Disasters
February 24, 2012

Since 1993, Ecuadoran citizens have been trying to hold Chevron responsible for the 18 billion gallons of toxic waste that has devastated parts of the Ecuadoran Amazon and caused illness for countless people. The legal battle has been drawn out for nearly 20 years, but the latest news is potentially a good sign for the people of Ecuador who've been fighting this uphill battle.

A court in Ecuador has rejected an arbitration ruling that would have frozen the $18 billion award that Chevron has been ordered to pay the plaintiffs.

Court: It's A Human Rights Issue

Reuters explains:

A year after the landmark decision against Chevron, a panel working for The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration told Ecuador last week to take all necessary measures to suspend enforcement of the award at home and abroad…

"A simple arbitral award ... cannot force judges to infringe the human rights of our citizens," said the court, adding that abiding by the panel's order would be unconstitutional and would lead to the breach of international human rights conventions.

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