Shell takes responsibility for 2008 oil spills in Nigeria

August 16, 2011

Shell, one of the top oil companies in the world, finally stepped up and admitted liability for two massive oil spills in Nigeria that occurred back in 2008. The pipeline that transfers 120,000 barrels of oil each day through the community of Bodo, Ogoniland, ruptured twice in the span of a few months, and more than 10 million gallons of oil spilled into the community's water source, according to The Maritime Executive.

The oil company will potentially need to spend at least $100 million to clean the area and restore the vegetation that rely on the affected waterways, but were destroyed by the chemicals in the water. Bodo was only one community that was affected by the spills, and others are now going after Shell for damages relating to the spill.

These are not the first incidents of oil leaking into the waterways of Nigeria, and the news source reports that on average, there are three spills every day. If you want to call Nigeria to talk to your friends or loved ones about the progress of the clean-up, you can use an international calling card.

"If you drink this water, it tastes like petrol," Austin Kpalap, a local resident, told the AFP. "We used to do everything with it - drank it, bathed with it and washed with it - until UNEP (the UN Environment Program) said it was not safe.

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