Greenpeace ordered to pay $660 mn to Texas oil company for defamation

By Sing Yee Ong

 

Greenpeace has been ordered to pay more than $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer Partners LP after the Texas-based oil company accused the environmental group of defamation in connection with protests against an oil pipeline almost a decade ago. 

A jury in North Dakota found Greenpeace and its US entities liable for defamation, conspiracy, and other claims for its involvement in protests at the Dakota Access pipeline. The construction of the conduit, running from the western part of the state to southern Illinois, sparked months of protests, with clashes between environmentalists and police drawing international attention.

 

“We’re going to appeal. And we’re prepared to fight this all the way to victory,” Greenpeace said in a statement on its website, calling the lawsuit “meritless”.

 

Energy Transfer had sought financial compensation as it claimed negative publicity generated by the protests caused it to lose “many hundreds of millions of dollars”, and damaged its ability to raise money from capital markets, according to an earlier complaint. 

 

The jury did not find Greenpeace responsible for alleged harms committed by protesters but did find it interfered with Energy Transfer’s business, according to a news report in the North Dakota Monitor.