A jury ruled on Wednesday (19 March) that environmental group Greenpeace must pay more than $660 million (€606 million) in damages for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline corporation in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline’s development in North Dakota.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access charged Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA, and its fundraising arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. of defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy, and other offenses.
Greenpeace USA was held responsible on all counts, while the others were found liable on a few. The damages, totaling almost $666.9 million (€613 million), will be distributed among the three organizations. The jury determined that Greenpeace USA must pay most of the damages, about $404 million (€371 million), while Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International will each pay approximately $131 million (€120 million).
Greenpeace previously stated that a huge award to the pipeline business would threaten to bankrupt the organization. Following the nine-person jury’s decision, Greenpeace’s chief legal counsel noted that the organization’s mission “will never stop.
“The fight against Big Oil does not end today,” Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper stated. “We understand that the law and truth are on our side. She stated that the group will take Energy Transfer to court in Amsterdam in July for an anti-intimidation action filed there last month.
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