How UK oil company Trafigura tried to cover up African pollution disaster
- Editor
- Sep 16, 2009
- 1 min read
Summary: This article details how Trafigura sought to suppress the truth about its role in a major toxic waste dumping incident in Ivory Coast. After dumping hundreds of tons of hazardous oil waste around Abidjan in 2006, thousands of people reported illnesses, and several deaths occurred. Even though Trafigura publicly claimed the waste was harmless, leaked internal emails revealed that company executives knew the waste was dangerously toxic and difficult to dispose of legally. Despite being warned about the illegality and health risks of the caustic washing process used to treat the fuel, Trafigura pursued it to maximize profits. The waste was then offloaded to an inexperienced local contractor at minimal cost. For three years, the company used aggressive legal threats to silence critics, including the BBC, The Guardian, and international journalists. It wasn’t until 2009, when damning internal emails were published, that Trafigura agreed to a settlement with 31,000 victims. The UN also criticized the company’s efforts to suppress public scrutiny, as Greenpeace called for prosecution on charges of grievous bodily harm or homicide.
Source: The Guardian
