WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

ACTION ALERT: ExxonMobil Threatens Pristine Amazon Valley

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07/08/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

The Candamo Valley in the Peruvian Amazon "is a complex, healthy, and

intact ecosystem" that has been described by scientists as "a

complete Amazon in miniature." The area includes jaguars, pumas,

tapirs, anaconda, armadillo, and the endangered giant otter.

ExxonMobil has the rights to explore for oil and natural gas in the

region, and there are indications that the valley holds large natural

gas reserves. Environmentalists and the majority of Peruvians want

ExxonMobil to give up its claims to the Candamo Valley, so it can be

incorporated into the nearby Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Please add

your voice to the chorus: no more ancient ecosystem destruction for

damaging fossil fuel production. You can send a free fax to

ExxonMobil from RAN's award winning web site at:

http://www.ran.org/ran/info_center/aa/aa150.html

g.b.

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Title: ExxonMobil Threatens Pristine Amazon Valley, Action Alert 150

Source: Rainforest Action Network, http://www.ran.org/

Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint

Date: July 8, 2000

The 350,000 acre Candamo Valley is considered one of the most

biodiverse areas in the Peruvian Amazon. Because of the geography of

the valley-it is surrounded by steep mountains and penetrated by one

swift, narrow river-it is also one of the Amazon's least spoiled

treasures. Whether the Candamo Valley remains this way will likely be

determined in the near future by a US-based corporation, ExxonMobil.

Four years ago, the Peruvian government granted Mobil and its partners

Exxon and Elf (Mobil and Exxon have since merged) the right to explore

for oil and natural gas in Candamo Valley and the surrounding region,

an area known to the oil industry as Block 78. So far, Mobil has done

only preliminary work in Candamo Valley, and its impact has been

minimal. According to the Peruvian government, however, the results of

Mobil's initial exploration indicate that the valley may hold large

reserves of natural gas.

Earlier this year, as part of its exploration contract, Mobil was

required to release twenty-five percent of the land it holds within

Block 78. Environmentalists-and, according to a recent poll, the

majority of Peruvians-hoped that Mobil would give up its claims to the

Candamo Valley, which would open the way for the valley to be

incorporated into the nearby Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Instead,

Mobil retained its claim to explore for oil and gas in the valley.

If ExxonMobil decides to develop the valley, the risks are numerous.

Already, a hill near Mobil's exploratory well site collapsed,

heightening fears that a chemical spill from the project might enter

the nearby river and pollute the headwaters of the Amazon basin.

According to Lauren Sullivan, RAN's Amazon Oil Campaigner, "Even if

ExxonMobil uses the best available technology, oil and gas projects

inevitably pose a threat to the health and long-term survival of an

ecosystem."

The threat is particularly troubling given the unique natural riches

of the Candamo Valley. It is home to a multitude of animal species,

including jaguars, pumas, tapirs, anaconda, armadillo, and the

endangered giant otter. In the span of just two years, biologists

studying the area have identified 663 vertebrate species, one new

species of fish, and 426 species of birds. The valley is a complex,

healthy, and intact ecosystem-"a complete Amazon in miniature,"

according to some scientists, capable of existing independent of what

goes on in the rest of the Amazon.

All of this could change with oil or gas development. "Similar

projects have devastated ecosystems throughout South America,

resulting in the toxic pollution of air, soil, water, and massive

deforestation," points out RAN's Lauren Sullivan. "Furthermore, top

climate scientists agree that we cannot afford to burn even one

quarter of our existing oil and gas reserves without risking the worst

impacts of climate change. Knowing these risks, we have to ask: Is it

worth it? Is it worth sacrificing one of the last wild, pristine spots

on Earth?"

What You Can Do!

The fate of the Candamo Valley is currently in the hands of

ExxonMobil. Mobil's public relations officers claim that the company

understands the importance of Candamo; however, Mobil's decision not

to release its claim to explore for oil and gas in the valley

indicates that the company is still considering development of the

region.

Please write to ExxonMobil and urge the company not to proceed with

any oil or gas development in the Candamo Valley.

Recipient: Mr. Lee Raymond

Subject: Protect the Candamo Valley!

Mr. Lee Raymond

Chief Executive Officer

ExxonMobil

5959 Las Colinas Boulevard

Irving, TX 75039-2298

fax: (972) 444-1882

Telephone: 972-444-1000

Dear Mr. Raymond,

I was extremely disappointed to learn that ExxonMobil recently decided

not to release its claim to explore for oil and gas in the Candamo

Valley in the Peruvian Amazon.

The Candamo Valley is one of the most pristine and biodiverse places

in the Amazon region. While much of the Amazon has been irrevocably

altered by human activity, the Candamo Valley has survived in close to

its original state. I urge you to strongly reconsider any plans your

company has to open this area to oil or natural gas development.

If ExxonMobil releases its claim to the Candamo Valley, the valley

could be incorporated into the nearby Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.

I strongly support this as a way forward, as do the majority of

Peruvians. I plan to follow this issue closely, and hope that I can

count on you to ensure that ExxonMobil does the right thing.

Sincerely,

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