Colombian farmers take BP to court
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Ninety-five Colombian farmers are suing BP in the High Court in London for allegedly causing serious damage to their land, crops and animals.
The pipeline
In 1995, BP began construction on the 450-mile Ocensa pipeline in Colombia to transport 620 000 bpd of crude oil to an export terminal 515 miles away. The pipeline crossed 192 villages and most of the land was owned by small-scale farmers.
The claim
The farmers claim that work carried out by the Ocensa Pipeline Consortium, comprising BP, Colombian state-run player Ecopetrol and four other international companies, caused landslides and damage to soil and groundwater. They have also claimed they had been harassed and intimidated by Colombian paramilitaries employed by the government to guard the pipeline.
The group of 95 farmers also claim that while BP offered compensation, they were exploited and offered minor pay.
Paul Dowling, of Leigh Day & Co, a solicitor for the farmers, told the Guardian: 'The construction of this pipeline has destroyed the livelihoods of many poor families living in an often violent area of Colombia. Unfortunately BP has forced them into a position where they have had to issue legal proceedings in a distant country to seek fair compensation for the hardship they have suffered. They intend to fight for as long as it takes to ensure that justice is done.
'The region has been profoundly and adversely affected causing many farms to close or drastically reduce production and causing some farmers to leave the land,' the court documents state.
The case is the first of its kind in the UK.
BPs response
BP denies that it acted negligently and that the construction of the pipeline has caused long-term damage to the farmers' property. It argues that the main cause of soil erosion and sedimentation is the removal of forests by farmers for cattle grazing. The farmers' solicitors have lodged further papers in court disputing BP's defence. No date has yet been set for the court hearing.
Possible implications of the claim
If the court accepts the evidence of environmental damage caused by the project, it could open the way for similar claims by other communities in developing countries who say they have been adversely affected by oil pipelines.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/13112009/colombian_farmers_take_bp_to_court/
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