The Spanish company Repsol is accused of minimizing the magnitude of the raw leak that has polluted at least 18,000 square meters of beaches, north of Lima.
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It is a major ecological disaster, which is only beginning to glimpse the extent, in Peru. At least 18,000 square meters of beaches have been defiled by crude oil after the accidental flight in an oil refinery, Saturday, January 15, in the Callao region, north of Lima, the capital. A direct consequence of the volcanic eruption in the Tonga Islands, located more than 9,000 kilometers from the Peruvian coast.
A few hours after the eruption, around 5:30 pm, local time, the number 2 terminal of the refinery La Pampilla, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Repsol, was shaken by a strong swell which destabilized a tanker, then In full unloading raw, causing a black tide. “The worst ecological disaster that has occurred in Lima in recent years,” published the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter on Wednesday.
Two natural reserves, marine bird refuges, have been contaminated, and six hundred families living with artisanal fisheries suffer the consequences of pollution, according to the regional government. Dozens of birds and mammals are dead. Videos and images of penguins, sea lions and cormorants covered with hydrocarbons circulate for several days on social networks, causing stirring in the population. Cleaning operations are currently held, but the hydrocarbon sheet continued to expand, Wednesday, on the fourth day of the black tide.
“Nobody has warned us”
“The panorama is desolating, said on a local radio, Pedro Spadaro, the mayor of the municipality of Ventanilla, affected by pollution. The elected did not hide his anger towards the authorities, S ‘ Indignant against “The inaction of the company RepSol”. “Nobody has warned us or the portion of the port or the company,” he said.
To the point that the holidays continued to access the beaches on Sunday, in peace. Ten thousand barmakers have been exposed, in this summer vacation period, in this area of seaside resorts, before being evacuated urgently, after pollution reached the beaches.
REPSOL was content to publish a first statement Saturday evening indicating that the leak was “limited”, with only “seven gallons [the equivalent of 0.16 barrel]” spilled in the ocean. Then, 24 hours later, that the “leak [was] contained”.
6000 barrels escaped
In reality, 6,000 barrels escaped, according to the Ministry of the Environment, which could see the damage on the coast, Tuesday. What would correspond, according to the OCEANA NGO, to about 250,000 gallons [954,000 liters] of crude.
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