Chevron accused of 'environmental crime' in Brazil

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Chevron accused of 'environmental crime' in Brazil
AFP
Updated March 22, 2012, 10:59 am

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Federal prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday accused US oil giant Chevron and 17 executives of "environmental crime" in connection with a major spill off southeastern Brazil last November.

The country's national oil regulator estimates that 2,400 barrels of crude were spilled in the incident, which led authorities to suspend all of Chevron's drilling operations and to deny the company access to huge new offshore fields.

The US firm rejected Wednesday's charges as "outrageous and without merit" and vowed to defend itself and its employees.

The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that it was charging "Chevron, oil drilling contractor Transocean and 17 executives with environmental crime and damage in connection with the oil spill."

Read more: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/13233800/chevron-accused-of-environmental-crime-in-brazil/

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[gratuitous]

2. Criminal charges against an oil company?

Brazil is just so backward. Don't they know that they're supposed to soothe and comfort the poor oil company for the loss of their product? Chevron thinks facing criminal penalties for its negligence is outrageous; haven't they suffered enough?