Hit with a jury’s decision to pay more than $660 million in damages for defamation of Energy Transfer company, Greenpeace says it has no intention of coughing up the money and will appeal this week’s decision by a North Dakota jury.
“The fight against Big Oil is not over today,” Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper said outside the courthouse steps in Mandan, North Dakota. “We know that the law and the truth are on our side.”
Greenpeace was found guilty of helping lead the protests against Energy Transfer’s Dakota Access oil pipeline when it was under construction. The Dallals-based company accused the Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace Fund Inc. of defamation, trespass,nuisance, civil conspiracy and other acts.
But following the verdict by the nine-person jury, Greenpeace senior legal adviser Deepa Padmanabha told the organization’s efforts “is never going to stop.
“That’s the really important message today, and we’re just walking out and we’re going to get together and figure out what our next steps are,” Deepa Padmanabha told the Associated Press and other reporters following the verdict.
A breakdown of the $666.9 million payment required of the organization shows Greenpeace USA will have to pay most of the damages or $404 million. Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International will have to pay about $131 million each.
As for Energy Transfer, it said the verdict was a win for “Americans who understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law.”
