Occidental Petroleum's Devastating Legacy in the Peruvian Amazon to Dominate Annual...

Occidental Petroleum's Devastating Legacy in the Peruvian Amazon to Dominate
Annual Meeting, says Amazon Watch

Shareholders, Activists and Celebrities Call on Company to Rectify Past Harm

Oxy Faces Similar Lawsuit to that Faced by Chevron in Ecuador

Photo Opportunity and Interviews Available Immediately Following the AGM

WHEN:
Friday, May 1, 2009 at 10:30 am

WHERE:
Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

WHAT:
A delegation of concerned shareholders, environmental and human rights
activists, lawyers and celebrities will once again speak at Occidental
Petroleum's (OXY) annual stockholders' meeting to urge the CEO and Board of
Directors to address the company's legacy of harm in the Peruvian Amazon
before more Achuar people fall victim to widespread contamination.

WHO:
Lily la Torre, Lawyer for the Achuar people in Peru; Representatives from
Amazon Watch; Bill Powers, Engineer with E-tech International; Patrick
Doherty, New York City Common Retirement Fund; joined by celebrities Daryl
Hannah, Q'orianka Kilcher and Benjamin Bratt.

BACKGROUND:
Occidental Petroleum's oil operations in the Peruvian Amazon have caused
massive environmental devastation, and led to a severe public health crisis
amongst the Achuar people of the Corrientes River. Oxy faces a lawsuit brought
by the Achuar which is currently pending in the Federal Court of Appeals.

For every barrel of oil Oxy produced in Peru, it dumped eight barrels of toxic
waste into the Amazon. As a result, repeated tests reveal that the majority
of Achuar children have dangerous concentrations of lead and cadmium in their
blood.

In light of the pending judgment against Chevron in Ecuador, where the
California based oil giant faces a $27 billion cleanup bill, a growing group
of Oxy investors, including New York City Common Retirement Fund, are
concerned that Oxy faces a similar potential massive liability in the Peruvian
Amazon. As a result, Oxy shareholders have filed a resolution, which raises
concerns about Oxy's handling of the Peru disaster.

Actresses Daryl Hannah and Q'orianka Kilcher (who is of Peruvian indigenous
ancestry) have visited Achuar communities in the northern Peruvian rainforest
and witnessed the pollution first hand. Along with actor Benjamin Bratt (also
of Peruvian indigenous ancestry), they will share their concerns with
Occidental Petroleum's shareholders at the oil company's annual general
meeting on Friday.

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- April 29/
SOURCE Amazon Watch

Mitch Anderson, +1-415-342-4783, mitch@amazonwatch.org, or Joseph Mutti,
+1-415-487-9600, +1-510-566-4346, joseph@amazonwatch.org, both of Amazon
Watch