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The San Francisco Herring Association (SHA) has filed a class action lawsuit claiming the recent 750 gallon Chevron oil spill will devastate the industry for years to come.
In addition to the SHA, lead plaintiffs include two fishermen, John Mellor and Chris Cameron, who accuse Chevron of negligence and public nuisance. They say the company violated California state laws regarding oil spill clean-up in their class action lawsuit filed on Feb. 10, 2021.
The Chevron oil spill began the second week of February and originated from a refinery located in Richmond, California. The oil spilled relentlessly into the San Francisco Bay for hours, according to The Guardian. Residents described a brown sheen over the water and an overwhelming smell of gasoline.
The Richmond refinery, located 12 miles from San Francisco, is older than the city itself – and is one of the state’s biggest polluters. The recent oil spill led to renewed calls by residents and environmental advocates to hold Chevron responsible for its mess.
Indeed, the herring harvesters’ class action lawsuit seeks to do just that on behalf of the fishing industry that says it will face reduced yields and other problems for the foreseeable future as a result of the Chevron oil spill.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer accuses Chevron of being cheap, reportedly saying it “cuts corners to add a little more to its billion-dollar bottom line, externalizing the costs of its conduct onto the environment and those that depend on it.”
Chevron’s response to the oil spill was also allegedly problematic and slow. Fishermen say the oil giant dragged its feet to stop the spill, pointing out that Chevron didn’t even have the proper equipment in place to contain the mess before last week.
The plaintiffs say that when the company did respond, they ended up pushing oil into the San Pablo Bay — “prime herring spawning habitat.”
Contaminates from the poisonous petroleum will have a devastating effect on the herring industry that has worked for years to restore herring habitat, alleges the class action lawsuit. Specifically, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in petroleum products are known to damage genetic information in a cell, resulting in mutations. Exposure will weaken existing herrings and also kill herrings’ eggs and larvae, the plaintiffs assert.
“You dedicate your life and career to something like that, and then an oil company that sits on the water goes and reverses your work to save a buck,” lead plaintiff Mellor told Undercurrents News. “It’s more than a little frustrating.”
The class action lawsuit seeks to represent other herring harvesters affected by the Chevron oil spill.
Chevron has reportedly declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Were you affected by the Chevron oil spill into the San Francisco Bay? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
The lead plaintiffs are represented by Stuart Gross of Gross & Klein.
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