The new pipeline has had far-reaching consequences for local population and the natural protected areas. Environmentalists have been pointing at the impacts of the new pipeline since the beginning of the project.

Protected mountain forests in danger

For the route of the pipeline a 50 metres broad forest aisle has been cut. But the negative effects on nature are not restricted to this strip. According to the experiences of Ecuadorian environmentalists, the affected region is about 10 kilometres broad.
New streets to the construction areas are built in advance, hundreds of workers and widespread poaching along the route have reduced the species richness. The danger of erosion has increased because of the deforestation of the forests in the specific geological conditions of the mountainous regions (steep hillsides, rocky and sandy soil). This means also a danger for the pipeline. Because of frequent heavy rainfalls, subterranean placement of the tubes would not provide sufficient protection against erosion either.

Particularly the Mindo-Nambillo natural protected area, with its 450 bird species (30 of them indigenous, 13 endangered species and an endangered hummingbird species) one of the bird protected areas in the world with the largest number of species is endangered by the pipeline construction. At least 30 mammal species (among them the spectacled bear and the puma), reptiles, butterflies and numerous amphibians, 2,000 plant species, among them bromelia and orchids share their habitat with the birds.

Volcanic activity endangers the pipeline

Another point of criticism of the planned Northern route is the high activity of the nearby volcanoes. The 4,794 metres high Pichincha, located directly at the Mindo protected area, erupted in 1999. The Mindo village had to be evacuated then. The pipeline would be unlikely to survive undamaged an eruption of the volcano or an earthquake in the region of strong seismic activity.
A view into the history of the SOTE pipeline shows the devastating consequences of oil leakage. In the last 4 years there were 14 major breaks at the pipeline letting large amounts of oil pollute groundwater and devastate the once flowering landscape.
Several major rivers in the surrounding region, such as the Río Cinto, the Río Mindo and eventually the Río Blanco, would be affected by oil leakage from the OCP pipeline.
The danger of attacks must not be underestimated either. In the past, there were several politically motivated attacks on SOTE.

Habitat of indigenous population in danger

The existence of ethnic minorities living in the forest regions is endangered by the massive oil production. Pollution of water, soil and air by oil waste devastates parts of the natural resources such as fish, fruits and medicinal plants. A possible consequence would be malnutrition.
As has been proved in several extraction regions, because of the pollution the occurrence of cancer, skin and airways diseases has increased among the population.

About 70 per cent of people in Ecuador live in poverty. There are not enough jobs available. Thanks to the pipeline only a few new jobs have been created for the local population.
On the contrary, many indigenous live on eco-tourism, which provides as many as 50,000 jobs today. In the 1990s NGOs and local communities have started developing the eco-tourism. Today, the eco-tourism is an important development alternative for rural population which makes the protection of nature profitable.
The pipeline construction has devastated many natural protected areas where projects of eco-tourism have been launched, thus wasting the only capital of local population.

Rainforests

Only part of the rainforests in the Amazonas region is protected. The Cuyabeno and Yasuní national parks are just two examples of unique protected areas.
The overall area of the Ecuadorain primeval forest is divided according to oil extraction concessions. Colonists, timbermen and agricultural industry will gain access through new infrastructure to the once intact mining regions. Each new drill hole means new streets, reservoir tanks and oil pipelines, devastating the rapidly disappearing forest. At many places, the indigenous have been bereft of their overall habitat due to the loss of the rainforest eco-system as well as a vital source of their food and life habits.
Rare water mammals such as the giant otter shrew, the sea cow and the river dolphin have lost their last retreat regions.

How does Dr Goodland evaluate these impacts in his independent opinion?