A British oil trading company, Trafigura will pay out billions in compensation in a class action suit brought by over 30,000 people from the Ivory Coast who fell ill in what has been described as the worst pollution incident in decades involving the dumping of toxic waste.
The claimants who endured short term illness that included, diahorrhea, vomiting and breathing difficulties will receive, “several hundred pounds.” However, there still isn’t word yet on those that suffered life threatening effects and death.
The settlement seems to have been provoked by a United Nations report that suggested as reported by the Independent a “strong prima facie evidence that, the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping.”
The dumping was the result of a sub-contractor, Compagnie Tommy who disposed of tonnes of sludge waste inappropriately. The UN report also stated, that Trafigura, “failed to check the ability of its local contractor to deal properly with the waste.
