Colombian farmers took on oil giant BP in the British High Court on Wednesday, in a lawsuit that alleges that the company negligently managed the construction of a pipeline in the mid-1990s, resulting in severe damage to their land.
The four-month trial marks the first time the U.K. firm has faced a domestic court over its actions overseas in what is being billed as one of the largest environmental case of its kind.
Around 100 "campesinos” – or peasant farmers — claim that construction activities by British company Equion Energia, formerly BP Exploration (Colombia) Limited, severely reduced the productivity of their land. They are seeking around $29 million in compensation, according to British news reports.
The lawsuit states that the Ocensa crude oil pipeline caused severe soil erosion, reduced vegetation coverage and areas for pasture, and blocked water sources, significantly reducing the productivity of farmland.
If successful, the case could pave the way for similar claims by other communities in developing countries who say they have been harmed by oil pipelines.