June 27, 2000

Nigerian court: Shell out, Shell

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Thirty years after a massive oil spill in Nigeria’s Ogoniland, and nine years after a lawsuit for compensation was filed against Royal Dutch/Shell, a Nigerian court has ordered the oil giant to cough up $40 million to the community whose lands were fouled by the spill.

For the reviled Royal Dutch/Shell, $40 million may not seem like much. But for residents of Ebubu, Nigeria, the money will be quite a boon — if they ever get it. According to the ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS SERVICE, Shell plans to appeal the decision. The company still denies responsibility for the spill (which was never cleaned up), claiming it had quit drilling in the region then because of the civil war over Biafra.

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