The screaming headlines around the Bay Area today talk about what a crime it is that community activists held Chevron Richmond accountable and won a lawsuit against their bogus EIR to expand their facilities in a city that is already an environmental justice poster child.
The issue is an Environmental Impact Report that the City of Richmond approved, against the will of its citizens, which allowed Chevron to expand its facilities to refine fuel from dirtier grades of crude, and thus create more pollution in the region. Chevron rushed to start the project before the inevitable lawsuits were filed, as a sort of PR safety blanket.
Reuters explains what Chevron really wants to do with their expansion.
"Large U.S. refiners have been switching their plants to run cheaper, heavy crude oils to reduce costs and increase profits."
http://www.reuters.com/...
Due to a court decision on June 1, the City needs to redo the EIR and make sure all the new pollution is accounted for.
Chevron reacted to the court decision by laying off workers and holding a press conference while they were doing it.
The suits chose to victimize the workers as a PR stunt. They want their workers to get angry at the court, or the community, or someone, besides the guys who wrote the bogus environmental report to begin with. They are victims of judicial activism! (i.e. a judge who enforces the law.)
But Chevron is certainly not afraid to go to the exact same court when they want something, like for example, to overturn a vote of the people.
Chevron Corp. has sued the city of Richmond in Contra Costa County Superior Court, challenging the city’s Measure T, which changed the business license tax on manufacturers. The measure passed with 51 percent voter approval in November.
http://www.bizjournals.com/...
Meanwhile, Chevron's PR campaign proclaiming love of people and the environment has been exposed as BS in Ecuador.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26 (Reuters) - Four senators have written to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, criticizing what they understand is a push by Chevron Corp (CVX.N) to cut trade benefits for Ecuador, where the oil company faces a $27 billion claim in court.
"We request that you allow the legal proceedings in Ecuador to take their course without any undue intervention from the U.S. government," the senators' letter said.
A ruling in the long-running case over pollution of the Ecuadorean jungle has been expected some time this year, but the company has argued that public criticism of Chevron by Ecuador President Rafael Correa makes a fair trial impossible.
"It is our understanding that Chevron is seeking the threatened withdrawal of the Andean Trade Preference Benefits for Ecuador if this lawsuit moves forward," said the letter, which was seen by Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/...
Moral of the story.
Chevron is a bad actor.
When their environmental record is held up before a court, they often lose, then the suits look for someone to punish.
Whether it is workers hired to build an illegal expansion in California, or the people of Ecuador, who want a fair share of the profits from the resources extracted in their country.
This graphic sums it up pretty well how a greenwashing media campaign has come back haunt Chevron when the facts on the ground show there is very little that is "green" about their behavior as a corporate citizen of this world.