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DAM-L Water Shortages Threaten World (fwd)
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THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
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Vol. 6, No. 7, April 13, 2002
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*************************************************************
UNITED NATIONS WARN OF LOOMING WORLDWIDE WATER CRISIS
The United Nations issued a report stating that two in three people will face water shortages by
2025. It reports that more than 2.7 billion people will face severe water shortages by the year
2025 if the world continues consuming water at the same rate. The new report released to mark
World Water Day in March 2002, says that another 2.5 billion people will live in areas where it
will be difficult to find sufficient fresh water to meet their needs. It warns that fierce national
competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of
violent conflict. The looming crisis is being blamed on mismanagement of existing water
resources, population growth and changing weather patterns. The areas most at risk from the
growing water scarcity are in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. But according to
new figures from the UN Economic Commission for Europe at least 120 million people living in
Europe - one in seven of the population - still do not have access to clean water and sanitation.
The commission is calling for greater effort to be made in the developed world to conserve and
protect water resources. The people in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are most at risk.
The UN body says wasted water is costing Europe around US $10 billion a year. According to
the report, by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an estimated 1.1 billion people
have no access to safe drinking water, 2.5 billion lack proper sanitation and more than five
million people die from waterborne diseases each year - 10 times the number of casualties killed
in wars around the globe. Less than 3% of the Earth's water is fresh and most of it is in the form
of polar ice or too deep underground to reach. The amount of fresh water that is accessible in
lakes, rivers and reservoirs is less than a quarter of 1% of the total. "Even where supplies are
sufficient or plentiful, they are increasingly at risk from pollution and rising demand," UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan said. There are fears that future competition for water could spark
conflicts. People will be forced from their homes to seek water. "Fierce national competition
over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict,"
Mr Annan said. The IAEA is calling for the launch of a "blue revolution" to conserve water
supplies and develop new ones. "The simple fact is that there is a limited amount of water on the
planet, and we cannot afford to be negligent in its use. We cannot keep treating it as if it will
never run out," the IAEA's director, Mohamed El-Baradei, said. See the full story at the website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/newsid_1887000/1887451.stm
***********************************************************************
NEAR EAST NATIONS FACING DROUGHT AND WATER SHORTAGES
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the Near East nations
are facing a drought and water shortages. While it did not make the link to global warming, it
appears to be playing a factor. FAO issued the warning at its 26th Regional Conference for the
Near East held March 12 in Tehran, Iran. FAO adds that while such efforts are essential for the
fight against drought, regional and international cooperation is also needed as a follow-up to the
International Convention on Combatting Desertification and Drought (June 1994). The FAO also
calls on Near East governments to establish a "Drought Watch and Early Warning System"and to
support a recently launched Drought Information Network for the Near East and the
Mediterranean. In the fight against drought, the UN specialized agency stresses the need to adopt
a "participatory approach" by closely involving communities at grass-root level, including
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women and youth, in the formulation and the
implementation of national policies and programmes.
During the last 20 years, many countries of the FAO Near East Region, which includes 29 States
extending from the Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia, have experienced long-term droughts,
sometimes lasting more than a year. Most affected were Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria and Sudan. Successive droughts had devastating
consequences on plant, animal and human lives in several Near East countries. The FAO reports
that drought, land degradation and desertification trigger famine, poverty, civil unrest and
sometimes war. Droughts also seriously affected ecosystems and biodiversity. For example, in
the Islamic Republic of Iran, many internationally known wetlands and lakes, such as the
Hamoun wetland, became completely dry. In Sudan, traditional and indigenous crop varieties,
which constitute the staple food for people in dry regions, were threatened by extinction. Some
70 percent of the agricultural areas in the Near East Region are arid or semi-arid. Only 20 percent
of the total lands are cultivable.
The most serious challenge to agriculture is water scarcity: average annual rainfall is 205 mm
and while the Region covers 14 percent of the world's surface, its water resources represent only
2 percent of the total internal renewable water resources of the world, says FAO. Among 21
countries that have been declared water-scarce, 12 are in the Near East region and many of them
are Mediterranean countries, according to a recent study by the International Programme for
Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) in collaboration with FAO.
"Despite water shortages, misuse of water is widespread and farmers use large amounts of water
poorly," the study says. A case study on Jordan shows that the use of improved drip irrigation
saved 20-50 percent of water, increasing cucumber and tomato crop yields by 15-20 percent. In
Morocco, new irrigation technology (laser-levelled basin irrigation) resulted in water savings of
20 percent and cereal crop-yield increases of 30 percent. "Poor implementation and management,
however, have seriously limited expected water savings and increased productivity," according to
the IPTRID study. For further information, contact FAO information officer Michael, Hage Tel
(00982 9112495495) in Tehran, ph. 09 211495495, email michael.hage@fao.org . Visit their
website at http://www.fao.org then click on FAO regional conferences 2002.
***************************************************************************
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE U.S. CONGRESS ON WATER, APWA
The U.S. Congressional Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) time held hearings
February 26, 2002, on Bill S. 1961, the Water Investment Act (S. 1961). The Bill was put forth
by four co-sponsors including, Sen. Jeffords (I-Vermont), Sen. Crapo (R-Idaho), Sen. Graham
(D-Florida), and Sen. Smith (R-New Hampshire). The bill would provide additional funding for
the State Revolving Loan programs and provide administrative provisions to the water funding
program. The legislation is also an attempt to "update and modernize" the Clean Water Act. S.
1961 authorizes US $35 billion over 5 years split between both the Clean Water State Revolving
Loan Fund (SRF) and the Drinking Water SRF. The Clean Water SRF would be funded at $20
billion, while the Drinking Water SRF is funded at $15 billion beginning in Fiscal Year (FY)
2002. The legislation would allow states the flexibility to transfer funds from the Clean Water
SRF to the Drinking Water SRF if necessary, and vice-versa. The details of the legislation
include: Funds for construction of treatment work, implementation of non-point source
programs, development of estuary programs. Projects that use 1 or more nontraditional
approaches will be eligible to receive assistance. Requires projects to be reviewed by State. The
message throughout the hearing was clear, that while supporters were certainly pleased to see the
Senate addressing vast water infrastructure needs, there are serious concerns about the
restrictions placed on the dollars. Local government officials believe S. 1961 needs to be
significantly streamlined to direct the bill's funds to support basic infrastructure repair,
replacement, and compliance with costly regulatory requirements needs. The legislation should
focus on the water and wastewater infrastructure crisis. There is no need to make it more difficult
for local government to have access to these funds. For more information contact Heather A.
McTavish, Government Relations Coordinator, American Public Works Association -
Washington, DC , ph. (202) 408-9541, Ext. 3010, Visit their website at
http://www.apwa.net/govtaffairs .
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WATER SHORTAGE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A looming water crisis could threaten one in three people by 2025, sparking as much conflict this
century as oil did in the last, the U.N.-sponsored Third World Water Forum said in a statement.
Governments must urgently find new ways to conserve shrinking water supplies amid rising
demand, forum participants - including leading scientists and environmentalists - were told on
the opening day of the week-long conference. The statement said about 450 million people in 29
countries already suffered from water shortages and that Asia and sub-Saharan Africa - both
heavily populated - would face the most severe problems. The Middle East, India, Pakistan and
China would also struggle with serious water shortages in coming years unless opposing groups
of environmental and agricultural scientists can agree on how to tackle water use, the forum said.
"Water could become the new oil as a major source of conflict," Dutch Crown Prince Willem-
Alexander, patron of the 1999 World Water Forum, told Reuters in an interview after delivering
the opening speech in Stockholm. "Increasing scarcity, competition and arguments over water in
the first quarter of the 21st century will dramatically change the way we value and use water and
the way we mobilize and manage water resources," Willem-Alexander said. Environmentalists
are lobbying for a 10 percent cut in water use to protect rivers, lakes and wetlands on which
millions of people depend for their livelihoods. Agricultural scientists say farm water use,
especially irrigation, should be boosted by 15-20 percent over 25 years to secure food supplies
and battle famine. For example, China's loss of agricultural production due to pollution amounts
to about $160 million annually, the forum said, adding that it was unlikely traditional agriculture
could feed the world's population in 2025. The forum is made up of 10 international
organizations such as the World Health Organisation, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
and UNEP, the United Nations Environment Program. Source, "World Water Crisis Will
Threaten One in Three-UN, Reuters News Service, Stockholm, August 13, 2001.
***********************************************************************
FAO SAYS DROUGHT A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN NEAR EAST COUNTRIES
Combatting drought, a top-priority for the Near East, requires greater awareness at the highest
level of governments and national action plans for drought mitigation and management, says the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at its 26th Regional Conference for the Near East
which was held March 2002 in Tehran, Iran. FAO calls on governments of Near East countries to
formulate, adopt and implement national policies and programmes for enhancing food production
and improving food security during drought. Cooperation is needed as a follow-up to the
International Convention on Combatting Desertification and Drought signed June 1994. FAO
also calls on Near East governments to establish a "Drought Watch and Early Warning
System"and to support a recently launched Drought Information Network for the Near East and
the Mediterranean. During the last 20 years, many countries of the FAO Near East Region, which
includes 29 States extending from the Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia, have experienced
long-term droughts, sometimes lasting more than a year. Most affected were Afghanistan, the
Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria and Sudan. Successive droughts
had devastating consequences on plant, animal and human lives in several Near East countries.
Drought, land degradation and desertification trigger famine, poverty, civil unrest and sometimes
war. FAO says that droughts also seriously affected ecosystems and biodiversity. For example, in
the Islamic Republic of Iran, many internationally known wetlands and lakes, such as the
Hamoun wetland, have become completely dry. In Sudan, traditional and indigenous crop
varieties, which constitute the staple food for people in dry regions, were threatened by
extinction. Some 70 percent of the agricultural areas in the Near East Region are arid or
semi-arid. Only 20 percent of the total lands are cultivable.
The most serious challenge to agriculture is water scarcity: average annual rainfall is 205 mm
and while the Region covers 14 percent of the world's surface, its water resources represent only
2 percent of the total internal renewable water resources of the world, says FAO. Among 21
countries that have been declared water-scarce, 12 are in the Near East region and many of them
are Mediterranean countries, according to a recent study by the International Programme for
Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) in collaboration with FAO.
"Despite water shortages, misuse of water is widespread and farmers use large amounts of water
poorly," the study says. In Morocco, new irrigation technology (laser-levelled basin irrigation)
resulted in water savings of 20 percent and cereal crop-yield increases of 30 percent. "Poor
implementation and management, however, have seriously limited expected water savings and
increased productivity," according to the IPTRID study. For further information, please contact
FAO information officer Michael Hage Tel (00982 9112495495) in Tehran call 09 211495495
email michael.hage@fao.org or consult http://www.fao.org then click on FAO regional
conferences 2002.
************************************************************************
NO FLUSH URINALS GROWING IN U.S. MARKET
Many regions of the United States are experiencing water shortages. Water conservation and
water recycling become a top priority. Also, the pumping and cleaning of water and wastewater
is one of a city's top electricity consumers. Want to reduce energy consumption, reduce water
use. That's why the no-flush urinals are becoming a new market phenomena in the U.S. Two
companies have taken the lead. Falcon Waterfree Technologies and Waterless Company
manufacture no-flush urinals that operate on the same basic principle. A layer of lighter-
than-water fluid floats on top of the urine in a trap, while added urine runs through this layer and
down the drain. The main difference between the two products is the trap design. In Waterless
urinals, urine takes a relatively direct path taken through the trap, and some liquid sealant washes
down the drain with each use. In the Falcon Waterfree design, a more circuitous route through
the trap and a horizontal barrier keep the liquid seal from washing out. The Falcon units are
significantly less expensive, but their traps are more complex and cost much more. Falcon is
developing a trap with a built-in LED warning system that illuminates after too many uses or
when the outflow gets too slow. Due to their less expensive traps, Waterless' urinals are less
expensive to own over time, especially in areas with heavy usage. With proper attention, the
maintenance requirements for both are minimal compared with keeping flush mechanisms
operational and leak-free. Both no-flush units are extremely cost effective compared to
conventional urinals. More: Falcon Waterfree Technologies: http://www.falconwaterfree.com;
Waterless Company: http://www.waterless.com. See the full story at:
http://www.buildinggreen.com/products/falcon.html ] from Environmental Building News, Feb
2002, p 10, by Nadav Malin. Source, Greenclips, To subscribe via e-mail send a blank message
to subscribe-greenclips@listserv.energy.wsu.edu
****************************************************************************
WORLD GRAIN HARVEST FALLING SHORT BY 54 MILLION TONS, WORLDWATCH
While Americans are celebrating another bountiful grain harvest, there are signs that the world
harvest is falling short as water shortages translate into food shortages. In its November world
crop survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that this year's world grain harvest of
1,841 million tons will fall 54 million tons short of projected consumption of 1,895 million tons.
This comes on the heels of a poor crop last year, when world output fell short of use by 34
million tons. These two consecutive disappointing harvests have reduced next year's projected
world carryover stocks of grain, the amount in the bin when the new harvest begins, to 22
percent of annual consumption, the lowest level in 20 years. Dealing with the water shortages
that result from drought, aquifer depletion, and the diversion of scarce water to cities is much
more difficult. Water tables are now falling in key food-producing regions--the North China
Plain, the Punjab in India, and the southern Great Plains of the United States. The North China
Plain accounts for a third of China's grain harvest. The Punjab, a highly productive piece of
agricultural real estate, is India's breadbasket. And the southern Great Plains help make the
United States the world's leading wheat exporter. It takes 1,000 tons of water to produce 1 ton of
grain, the most efficient way for water-deficit countries to import water is to import grain. The
fastest-growing grain import market in the world today is North Africa and the Middle East, the
region with the most serious water shortages. Virtually every country in this region--stretching
from Morocco eastward across the northern tier of Africa and the Middle East through Iran--is
facing water shortages. With supplies limited, countries satisfy the growing demand for water in
cities and industry by taking it from agriculture. Then they import grain to offset the loss of
production capacity. It is often said that future wars in this region are more likely to be fought
over water than oil. This may be, but it is hard to win a water war. The competition for water is
more likely to take place in world grain markets. In recent years, grain imports into Iran, a
water-short, grain-deficit country, have eclipsed those of Japan, long the world's leading wheat
importer. Last year, Egypt also moved ahead of Japan. Both Iran and Egypt now import over 40
percent of the grain they consume.
The 18 million tons of grain, mostly wheat, that it ships abroad each year embody 18 billion tons
of water. Similarly, U.S. annual grain exports of 90 million tons of grain represent 90 billion tons
of water, an amount that exceeds the 67-billion-ton annual flow of the Missouri River. The
adequacy of food and water supplies are closely linked. Some 70 percent of all water that is
pumped from underground or diverted from rivers is used to produce food, while 20 percent is
used by industry and 10 percent goes to residential uses. With 40 percent of the world's grain
harvest produced on irrigated land, anything that reduces the irrigation water supply reduces the
food supply. The wildcard in the world grain market is China. It accounted for 45 million tons of
this year's grain harvest shortfall of 54 million tons. Last year, China's harvest fell short of
consumption by 33 million tons. In two years, it has reduced grain stocks by nearly 80 million
tons. Among the forces shrinking China's grain harvest are severe drought in northern China
during the last two years resulting possibly from global warming. For more information contact
Reah Janise Kauffman, Earth Policy Institute, Washington, D.C., ph. (202) 496-9290, Ext. 12,
email rjkauffman@earth-policy.org . See the report, "Worsening Water Shortages Threaten
China's Food Security," Go to the website http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/Update1.htm .
***********************************************************************
WATER MATTERS CREATED IN ENGLAND
Two leading international UK charities, WaterAid and Tearfund, are taking action against the
global water crisis by combining forces to launch Water Matters - a campaign that aims to put
water and sanitation high on the agenda at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
2002. 2.4 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. Joanne Green from Tearfund outlines
the need for action: "A child dies every 15 seconds from water related diseases and by 2025 two
out of every three people will be living with water shortages. To prevent a world crisis we must
stop acting like water is an infinite resource and start managing it properly. We must also make
sure the world's poor have access to clean water and sanitation and that governments invest
sufficiently to achieve this." Source, Sharon Brand-Self, Media Relations Manager, Water
Matters, ph. 020 77934501. Visit their website at http://www.watermatters.org.uk .
*************************************************************************
JOIN TECHNICAL WEB FORUM ON WATER
You are invited to join three new Technical Forums for water resource professionals called
WaterTalk
StormTalk
SewerTalk
These forums will keep you up-to-date with the latest tips and tricks in hydraulic and hydrologic
modelling. Post your engineering questions and share your unique modelling experiences with a
global audience of thousands of professionals. Learn more and sign up at the website
http://www.haestad.com/e/m.asp?d=49&m=020319DGs
***********************************************************************
INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF WATER PROFESSIONALS IN AUGUST 2002
The Consortium for Dialogue on Water, Food and Environment, involving eight leading
international groups such as the World Conservation Union and the World Water Council, and
the Water Associations Worldwide, comprised of 10 professional water societies such as the
Australian Water Association and the European Water Association, are meeting in Stockholm,
from August 12 to 18,2002. Stockholm will serve as the meeting point for approximately 1,000
leading water experts who will gather for the 2002 Stockholm Water Symposium and World
Water Week in Stockholm. The issues that are being addressed are often those that have "fallen
between the cracks" until Stockholm provided the frame where the issues could be discussed
holistically. HRH Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands will be making the dialogue's
public presentation in Stockholm. For more information contact Frederic Tiller, The Swedish
Environmental Technology Network (SwedenTech), E-mail swedentech@swedishtrade.se . Visit
their website at http://www.swedentech.swedishtrade.se .
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FISHING SUBSIDIES TO ITALY, NOT SUSTAINABLE SAYS WWF
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, based in Gland, Switzerland, found that
one-third of EU fishing subsidies to Italy have a negative impact on the environment. WWF is
calling for an end to the depletion of marine resources and for governments to tackle the crisis
currently affecting the Italian fishing sector, through a more sustainable allocation of EU fishing
subsidies. The report is entitled, "EU Subsidies to Italian Fisheries: Analysing the Impact on
Marine Resources and Environment." The report found that EU subsidies cause environmental
damage in a range of ways. Italian fishermen are using subsidies to transfer their fishing effort to
waters of developing countries where there are more fish, thus dramatically increasing the
pressure on fish stocks in these areas. Another type of EU subsidy finances the construction of
new boats and the improvement of technical instruments such as motors or radars - as a result of
which, the fishing effort in Italy increases by 7 percent every year. WWF is also concerned that
in its drive to comply with EU objectives to reduce fishing effort, rather than targeting industrial
fishing, the Italian government is targeting artisanal fisheries - a sector that provides extensive
employment, and at the same time causes less environmental damage. "Fish and fishermen are
two endangered species we want to save. EU subsidies can help to safeguard them, if those
subsidies with a negative impact are reallocated to better use," said Paolo Guglielmi, WWF
Mediterranean Programme Office Head of Marine Unit. "WWF recognises that the EU has been
aiming for some years to make its fisheries subsidies sustainable. Nevertheless, some of these
subsidies are misused and WWF is calling on the EU to reform them or add conditions to their
use, to ensure they really support sustainable fishing." The European Union's CFP - Common
Fisheries Policy - is committed to eliminate the 40 percent over-capacity in the EU fishing fleet.
WWF is also calling upon the Italian government to create "fish districts" as zones exclusively
for local fishermen as well as "no-take zones" to allow fish stock recovery.
The largest fishing industry in the Mediterranean, and the 6th largest in Europe - around 17,000
vessels, 200,000 gross tonnes of fishing capacity and 53,000 fishermen - Italy receives the
second largest fishing subsidy from the EU. A large part of the subsidy goes to Sicily, with the
main centres of the Italian fishing industry being Napoli, Venezia, Bari, Mazara del Vallo,
Chioggia, Catania. For further information contact Anne Remy, Head of Communications, WWF
Mediterranean Programme Office, tel: +39 06 844 97424/417 Julian Scola, Communications
Manager, WWF European Fisheries Campaign, tel.: +32 2 743 88 06.
***********************************************************************
UP TO US $100,000 GRANTS FOR RESEARCH INTO MIGRATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The MacArthur Foundation is offering research grants up to US $75,000 to individuals and
$100,000 for pairs to conduct research into understanding key topics in global security and
sustainability. The Foundation will accept proposals relating to one of the following two themes.
The first is Migration and Refugees - Migration has always been an important factor of human
existence. Migration (both cross-border and internal) takes on a new urgency in the face of
intensified global economic processes, hyper-urbanization, the exploitation of forests and coastal
ecosystems, problems associated with the economic, social, and political incorporation of
migrants and refugees into receiving societies, and the post-Cold War reconfiguration of
geopolitical forces.
The second is, "Technological Change and Global Security and Sustainability" - Technological
change emerges within specific political, economic, social, and ideological contexts, and in turn
reshapes the institutions of governance, the economy, and society on both national and
international levels. Access to new technologies is distributed very unevenly within and among
nations. Developing nations often lack access not only to leading edge technologies, but also to
older technologies. Overcoming problems of access to technology is important for economic and
social development.
Grants may be used by scholars in university and organizational settings or by independent
researchers working outside of institutional contexts. Women, minorities, non-U.S. citizens, and
younger scholars are particularly encouraged to apply. Grants may not be used for research or
writing of the doctoral dissertation. Research and Writing grants are awarded for periods of
eighteen months or less and may be made directly to researchers, universities, or research or
policy institutes. Applicants may request up to $75,000 for individual projects, and may request
up to $100,000 for two-person collaborations. The competition for Research and Writing grants
occurs annually. The deadlines for receipt of applications are February 3, 2003, and February 2,
2004. The Foundation will accept proposals either electronically or in hard copy. To submit a
proposal electronically, send the application, as a single electronic mail attachment, to
researchandwriting@macfound.org. Applications should be sent as a Microsoft Word document
or in rich text format (.rtf). To submit a hard-copy proposal, send 8 (eight) identical, collated
copies of the complete proposal to: Research and Writing Grants, Program on Global Security
and Sustainability, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 140 South Dearborn
Street, Suite 1100, Chicago, Illinois 60603. For more information go to the website
http://www.macfound.org/programs/gss/other_guidelines/rw_2002.htm .
***********************************************************************
NAFTA COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE MEXICO NON-COMPLIANCE IN
MAGDALENA RIVER POLLUTION
The Council of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), on 7
March 2002, instructed the CEC Secretariat to prepare a factual record for the Ríío Magdalena
(SEM-97-002) submission. The Ríío Magdalena submission was filed with the CEC on 7 April
1997, by Comitéé Pro Limpieza del Ríío Magdalena. The Submitters contend that Mexico is
failing to effectively enforce its environmental law by allowing wastewater to be discharged into
the Magdalena River from the municipalities of Imuris, Santa Ana and Magdalena de Kino in
Sonora, Mexico, without proper treatment. On 5 February 2002, in light of the submission and
Mexico's response, the Secretariat recommended to the Council that a factual record be prepared,
and recommended further review of Mexico's enforcement in regard to the three Sonoran
municipalities of laws requiring treatment of wastewater and prohibiting water pollution. On 7
March 2002, the Council instructed the Secretariat to prepare a factual record as recommended
by the Secretariat. Under Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental
Cooperation (NAAEC). , the Secretariat may consider a submission from any person or
non-governmental organization asserting that a Party to NAAEC is failing to effectively enforce
its environmental law. Where the Secretariat determines that the NAAEC Article 14(1) criteria
are met, it may then proceed with a process that can lead to the development of a factual record
on the matter. In accordance with Article 15(2) of NAAEC, the Secretariat shall prepare a factual
record if the Council, by a two-thirds vote, instructs it to do so. Submissions on Enforcement
Matters Unit, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau
200. Montrééal (Quéébec) Canada H2Y 1N9, Tel: (514) 350-4300; Fax: (514) 350-4314,
E-mail: info@ccemtl.org . Visit the Citizen Submission on Enforcement Matters page for more
information: http://www.cec.org/citizen/index.cfm?varlan=english .
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CHEVRON ORDERED TO PAY US $2 MILLION
Chevron Corp. has been ordered to pay at least $2 million to compensate landowners for oil
waste damage at an 11-acre, unlined pit in southwestern Louisiana, a jury ruled. The plaintiffs,
Hazelwood Farms Inc. of Opelousas, Louisiana, had sought up to $80 million in compensation
and punitive damages for pollution associated with oil production on land it has leased since
1926 to Gulf Oil Corp. which was bought by Chevron in 1984. Instead, Chevron was ordered to
pay only for damages related to pollution left behind until 1957, when Gulf began to sublease the
land to other smaller, independent oil companies. ''The jury verdict was fair and reasonable,'' said
Chevron lawyer Stephen Carleton, who had suggested a sum closer to $800,000. Most of the
companies which leased the land from Gulf or Chevron have since declared bankruptcy or are
out of business. Three of them: International Petroleum and Exploration Inc., Liberty Oil and
Gas Inc. and Meyers-Lasher Inc., agreed in separate, smaller settlements to clean up their
portions of the damage. Hazelwood lawyer Stuart Smith said, "The jury sent clear message that it
doesn't matter how long ago oil companies dumped pollution and walked away from it, they're
still going to have to pay." Because the lawsuit stems from an alleged breach of a 1997
agreement by Chevron to clean up the property, the final payout, with interest, is expected to be
closer to $3 million, Smith said. Source, "Chevron ordered to pay $2 million for oil waste
cleanup," by Brett Martel, Associated Press, New Orleans, August 29, 2001.
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NEW WIND ENERGY FARM FOR MAINE
Endless Energy Corporation (EEC) of Yarmouth, Maine has proposed a 29-turbine wind farm to
be built atop two mountains between Sugarloaf Mountain and Stratton, Maine. The 330-foot
turbines, which are planned for the Redington Pond Range and Black Nubble mountains in
Maine, will generate about 200 million kWh per year, enough to power 33,000 homes, according
to the company. The proposed site is in the Carrabassett Valley Region, near existing roads and
power lines. Six to eight miles of existing logging roads will be refurbished and about 10 miles
of new roads will be built to access the wind farm. According to EEC, the turbines will prevent
more than 630,000 pounds of pollution per day compared to existing fossil fuel produced
electricity in New England. The project will use about 220 acres that EEC already owns and will
have "minimal to no impact" on important wildlife and plant communities. The company is
preparing permit applications for the US$50 million project and could begin construction in 2003
or 2004 if approved. See the Endless Energy Corporation website at
http://www.endlessenergy.com/
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EXXON/MOBIL OIL COMPANY REQUIRED TO PAY US $1.06 BILLION FOR
POLLUTION
The parent company of Imperial Oil Canada, ExxonMobil Corp. has been ordered to pay US
$1.06 billion to a family in the U.S. whose land was contaminated with radioactive waste, a jury
ruled Tuesday. ExxonMobil did not deny there was contamination on the land, which had been
leased by a contractor for the company. The company disputed the amount of radium 226 and
radium 228, how much the clean up would cost and when ExxonMobil first knew there could be
a problem. "The jury sent a clear message to Exxon in particular and the oil industry in general
that these radioactive materials should and must be cleaned up immediately," said Stuart Smith,
an attorney for the Grefer family. The company said it would appeal. ExxonMobil said trace
amounts of radium contaminated less than 1% of the 33-acre property and that it could be
cleaned up for $46,000. Defense attorney Gregory Weiss said the company did not know about
the contamination until the late 1980s and offered to clean it up, but the family refused, opting
instead to take the case before a jury. The family's attorneys said ExxonMobil had known about
the potential for contamination since the 1950s but kept quiet in hopes of avoiding liability for
cleanup costs. The jury ruled the company should pay $56 million for cleanup and $1 billion as
punishment for not reporting the contamination. The land was leased from the Grefers from the
late 1950s until 1992 to Intracoastal Tubular Services, a company contracted to clean Exxon's
pipes. Intracoastal was found 15% at fault for the contamination, but the jury ruled ExxonMobil
should pay their share because only the oil giant could have known that the crust being cleaned
from the pipes was radioactive. Source, The Associated Press. See the full story at the website
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-05-22-exxon-jury.htm
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Copyright (c) 2002
Canadian Institute for Business and the
Environment, Montreal & Toronto
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