Two Nigerian communities, Bille and Ogale in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State which have been devastated by oil spill and pollution have won a decision at a United Kingdom Court Monday after the court in London overturned a previous decision that would have created “an impossibly high burden” on the plaintiffs.
The latest ruling clears the way for the case presented by the Bille and Ogale communities to proceed to a full trial, which likely will involve the disclosure of crucial internal Shell (NYSE:SHEL) documents.
The dismissed previous ruling stated that since the claimants could not link damaged areas to individual oil spills, the claims should be treated as a “Global Claim,” meaning the Bille and Ogale communities would need to prove that Shell (SHEL) was responsible for 100% of the environmental pollution, according to Leigh Day, the U.K. law firm representing the two communities.
More than 13 thousand residents of Bille and Ogale had accused Shell (SHEL) of widespread pollution, claiming that repeated oil spills from the company’s infrastructure contaminated their lands, waterways, and drinking water.
Shell (SHEL) has maintained that most oil spills in the area related to the Bille and Ogale claims were caused by illegal third-party interference, including pipeline sabotage.