São Paulo - Brazil Oil pollution and pesticides |
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For twenty years Shell dumped chemicals in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The company produced pesticides and had a storage facility for oil products in Vila Carioca and Paulinia. This polluted the land and ground water, leading to health problems for employees and those living nearby, who were found to have high concentrations of heavy metals and pesticides in their blood. In January 2005 Shell was ordered by a judge to stop dumping chemical wastes and to decontaminate drinking water sources. But the oil company has so far refused to take responsibility for the health problems of its employees and ex-employees. |