CLARIFICATION: it's a little confusing in the movie about Exxon and Chevron's role here. Chevron has a separate lease on the ranch that is 7,110 acres and Exxon's lease covers the rest the ranch. The Chevron lease was in effect when the McGill bought the property in 1935.
Pretty much everyone in the industry knew that open unlined pits were a problem since the 1920's. The document at the end of this post has great references for any one who doubts that the major companies knew then and know now that the pits are leaching into the groundwater and pose serious health hazards. The Railroad Commission knows. Yet, they do nothing to stop the construction of subdivisions on top of the pits. ExxonMobil and Chevron know because they still operate the properties and even dug and buried the pits. Where ever you had old oilfield in Texas, you have a big problem. ExxonMobil and Texaco dumped produced water in open unlined pits up until the early 1980's. ExxonMobil and Chevron are lying to the SEC and their stock holders about their true liability with these old fields. I don't think they are going to be able to keep this mess a secret much longer. People are sick and dying and figuring it out. There are complaints to the EPA. It's just a matter of time. Coonass Counsel says that the companies know damn well what they are doing. I asked Coonass to come up with a summary to show others how Exxon and Chevron lie about standard operating procedure and accepted practices. Here's what he came up with.
4 comments:
Could these sites get classified by the EPA as a hazardous waste site and start a process of labeling them and prevent future development of the land for residential purposes?
Thanks for putting this document up on your web site.
It doesn't look like the API had anything in their studies advocating dumping into public waterways as an industry best practice for produced water disposal. Therefore we must conclude that the Ashland Oil engineers and geologists spent all their time in strip joints and cocktail bars at API conventions, because they didn't seem to know that a creek is not a dump site.
At least the Chevron and Exxon guys dumped it into unlined pits. That's a bit better than a creek.
Martha - we only have one creek here - and it's on the Texaco (Chevron) side of the lease. Yes, they dump in creeks. It's a different terrain and there aren't a lot of creeks - so Exxon and Chevron just improvised and dug some pits. It's all sand here - so it quickly drains down into the underground tributaries.
whoa! this post packs a very succinct major wallop in every possible way! it needs to be front page news... listen up america! (this land is your land, etc.)
BRAVA MRS. B! keep up the excellent satire!
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