Nigerian farmers sue Shell over oil pipe leaks

Shell broke the law by not repairing leaks that destroyed the lands of Niger Delta farmers, a Dutch court heard Thursday in a case that could set a precedent for global environmental responsibility.The four Nigerian farmers, backed by lobby group Friends of the Earth, have brought the Anglo-Dutch oil giant into court thousands of miles away from their homes with a civil suit that could open the door for hundreds of similar cases.Shell knew for a long time that the pipeline was damaged but didnt do anything: they could have stopped the leaks, lawyer Channa Samkalden told the court, accusing Shell of having violated its legal obligations.The case relates to damage caused in 2005 and was initially filed in 2008, demanding that Royal Dutch Shell clean up the mess, repair and maintain defective pipelines to prevent further damage and pay out compensation.In a landmark ruling, the Dutch judiciary in 2009 declared itself competent to try the case despite protests from Shell that its Nigerian subsidiary was solely legally responsible for any damage.Oil pollution has ravaged swathes of the Niger Delta in the worlds eighth largest oil producer, which exports more than two million barrels a day.Shell is the biggest producer in the west African country, where it has been drilling for over 50 years.Environmental groups accuse Shell of double standards and treating spills in Nigeria differently from pollution in Europe or North America.But Castelein fended off the accusations, saying: We do have the same standards in Europe and Nigeria.He added: I am not afraid of (the courts) judgment as it will just confirm the way we operate.Shells lawyer Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk said: Friends of the Earth believe that this trial will provide a solution to this problem but this is not the case.Friends of the Earth however said the scale of Nigerias oil pollution was twice that of the five million barrels dumped in the Gulf of Mexico after the explosion on BPs Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010, in the biggest ever marine spill. Shell however disputes the Nigerian figure and puts it much lower.The UNs environmental agency last year released a landmark report, saying decades of oil pollution in the Niger Deltas Ogoniland region may require the worlds biggest ever clean-up and could take up to 30 years.Judges are expected to hand down a ruling within the next six weeks to three months.Shell operates in over 90 countries, according to its website.