Case studies and human interest stories : testimonies and essays

This case study examines the environmental and health impacts of the oil industry development process in the Amazon region of Ecuador. The paper advocates for regulation of the industry and environmental accountability. Since the beginning of oil exploitation, foreign oil companies and Petroecuador have extracted more than two billion barrels of crude oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon. However, in this development process, billions of gallons of untreated wastes, gas and crude oil have been released into the environment. Evidence indicates a long term exposure of residents to toxins