Greenpeace USA faces £245m lawsuit from energy transfer partners
13 September 2024 20:00
Energy Transfer Partners is demanding £245 million in damages from Greenpeace USA for alleged harm caused by the organisation during protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. According to "Rzeczpospolita," this lawsuit could lead to the bankruptcy of the American branch of Greenpeace.
Kelcy Warren, billionaire and president of Energy Transfer Partners, wants Greenpeace USA to pay for actions his company deemed harmful. Energy Transfer, which has extensive pipeline, terminal, and storage infrastructure, played a key role in the Dakota Access Pipeline project, valued at £3.1 billion, recalls "Rzeczpospolita".
Lawsuit for £245 million
The Dakota Access Pipeline was intended to transport oil from shale in North Dakota to Illinois and further to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. This project met with fierce protests from environmentalists and indigenous people who feared threats to the environment and tribal lands. Greenpeace activists also took part in the protest - we read.
Energy Transfer claims that in 2016, Greenpeace activists deliberately acted to the detriment of the project by commissioning attacks on the pipeline and spreading false information about the company. As a result of the protests, project costs increased and its implementation was delayed.
The lawsuit, in which Warren is demanding £245 million in damages, could financially ruin Greenpeace USA.
The organisation is preparing for various scenarios, including bankruptcy, in relation to this. However, discussions are ongoing about what kind of settlement would be acceptable to both sides. The details of the case have not been disclosed - we read in "Rz".
The lawsuit, in which Warren's company is demanding £245 million in damages from Greenpeace, could lead to the collapse of the organisation, reports "WSJ". At the same time, the newspaper cited by "Rzeczpospolita" emphasises that the case does not threaten Greenpeace's international branches because the main body of the organisation, based in the Netherlands, does not own assets in the USA.
Energy Transfer Partners initially tried to sue Greenpeace in federal court. Now the company has refiled the lawsuit in state court after the federal court dismissed the initial proceedings.
