[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11144]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ECUADORAN AMAZON OIL DRILLING

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I wish to call attention to a recent 
decision by the Ecuadoran Government to issue a permit for oil drilling 
in the Yasuni reserve in the Amazon region. This should raise alarm 
bells in the international community for a number of reasons.
  It was not long ago that President Correa was supporting a lawsuit 
against Chevron, citing contamination that resulted from oil 
exploration by Texaco, the previous owner of the wells, in the Amazon 
region of Ecuador. That case, while fraught with allegations of 
corruption and ethical violations, shone a spotlight on the undeniable 
environmental damage, water contamination, and health problems 
associated with those oil wells, as well as on the rich biodiversity 
and indigenous populations in that region.
  But the Correa administration has now backstepped, deciding to allow 
the state-run oil company Petroamazonas to begin exploratory drilling. 
Given the history, one can only be concerned about the threat this 
poses to one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world and 
the people who live there.
  I am also disappointed by the circumstances leading up to the 
decision to begin oil production. Having failed in its far-fetched 
attempt to elicit contributions from the international community in 
exchange for halting plans to drill in the reserve, the Correa 
administration is moving ahead with this ill-conceived project. In 
other words, if someone else won't pay to prevent the Ecuadoran 
Government from potentially despoiling their own forests, they will 
drill there themselves despite the grave problems that occurred in the 
past.
  Nobody questions Ecuador's need for energy. Nobody doubts Ecuador's 
right to drill for oil. But we all have a responsibility to protect 
areas especially rich in biodiversity for future generations. We also 
have a responsibility to respect vulnerable indigenous cultures. While 
no country, including the United States, can claim perfection in 
environmental stewardship, we need to collectively learn from our 
mistakes and avoid repeating them.

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