Page One

Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission is asking the city tonight (Tuesday) to approve a resolution to “cease all purchases from Chevron, to the extent allowable by law.”  

In Richmond, Chevron houses more than 11 million pounds of toxic materials and has been responsible for more than 304 accidents, according to the resolution. “For illegally bypassing wastewater treatments and failing to notify the public about toxic releases, Chevron’s Richmond refineries were forced to pay $540,000 in 1998,” the resolution says, noting that the company is responsible for 95 Superfund sites. 

The resolution also points to Chevron’s role in Burma, Nigeria and Angola. Texaco, which became part of Chevron in 2001, dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into Amazon rainforests from 1964 to 1992, which “is often considered one of the world’s worst ecological catastrophes,” according to the resolution.