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Oil firm abandons road project for Amazon rainforest park in Ecuador mongabay.com April 26, 2006 The decision follows years of intense pressure from environmental groups and recent criticism by the Ecuadorian government. Instead the company will use helicopter transportation inside the park, according to a statement from Petrobras. Last summer Petrobras filed a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government for blocking the road's construction into the National Park, but the suit was rejected in court, paving way for the firm's decision to shelve the project.
Despite the apparent victory on the road issue, conservation groups are still concerned over oil development in the region. Historically, oil production in the rainforest of Ecuador has resulted in pollution and deforestation. Chevron, a large American oil firm, is currently facing a multi-billion dollar lawsuit for damages caused by Texaco, an oil company it acquired in 2001. Texaco stands accused of dumping more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into rainforest waterways over a 26-year period. More than 30,000 local people were affected. FURTHER READING: Oil Roads Kept Out of Ecuador's Yasuni National Park Petrobras Abandons Plans for Oil Road in Ecuadorian Amazon Park News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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