TIANJIN - A trial involving 21 aquaculture farmers demanding compensation from ConocoPhillips China and the China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) over an oil spill in 2011 began Tuesday.
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The sea cucumber farmers from Leting County of Hebei province demanded a compensation of 148 million yuan ($23.9 million) to cover their economic losses and litigation costs, according to the Tianjin Maritime Court.
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They claimed that the oil spill, which was not made public at first, led to the death of a large amount of their sea cucumbers, with losses amounting to 140 million yuan.
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Ma Yong of the All-China Environment Federation said most such pollution cases face the challenge in determining economic losses from the pollution damages.
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The Penglai 19-3 oilfield, jointly owned by CNOOC and the Chinese subsidiary of US oil giant ConocoPhillips, experienced a severe oil leak in mid 2011.
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Spills in the oilfield polluted more than 6,200 square km of sea water, with 870 square km heavily polluted.
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In April 2012, the State Oceanic Administration ordered the two companies to pay a total of 1.68 billion yuan in compensation for the damages to the marine ecosystem, as well as to fund environmental protection efforts in the Bohai Sea.Â