Environmental Emergency Declared in Peru Following Oil Spill
Peru’s Environmental Assessment and Oversight Agency announced that an oil spill in the northern part of the country has adversely affected at least seven beaches and threatened local wildlife. The incident prompted the Peruvian government to declare an environmental emergency on Thursday.
The environmental authority, locally known as OEFA, provided a preliminary assessment indicating that approximately 10,000 square meters of ocean surface have been tainted by crude oil. This spill occurred at a terminal of the Talara refinery, originating from a vessel that was in the process of transferring oil.
The state-run oil company, Petroperu, was overseeing the transfer of oil to a tanker when the spill was noticed near Las Capullanas beach. The company has yet to reveal the volume of oil discharged, although OEFA reports suggest it has affected an area between 116 and 566 acres. The cause of the spill has not been disclosed by Petroperu.
Petroperu has engaged with the local fishermen’s union, according to Reuters. However, a fisherman named Martin Pasos expressed his concerns on RPP, a local radio station, stating that there has been little communication from Petroperu about when fishing activities might resume. “We have not been able to go out for six days now,” Pasos reported. “It is chaos, what happened in Lobitos. So far, we have not had any response from the oil company.”
Petroperu responded to the spill by deploying cleanup crews immediately and reported that the cleanup operation on six affected beaches in Talara province was nearly complete by Wednesday.
The declaration of an environmental emergency mandates that authorities undertake recovery and remediation efforts over the coming 90 days.
According to Infobae, Petroperu has been accused of downplaying the extent of the damage. Local officials are particularly concerned about the well-being of wildlife, including turtles, crabs, octopuses, and fish, which have been severely impacted by the oil.
Following the spill, the public prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation into Petroperu for possible criminal environmental contamination.
Rocío Silva-Santisteban, a poet, activist, and former congress member, commented on the company’s historical environmental record. “It is not the first time that Petroperu has caused pollution,” she remarked. Silva-Santisteban highlighted that since 2014, there have been recurring oil spills in Cuninico, Loreto, which have negatively affected both wildlife and human health. She labeled these incidents as “an ecocide!”
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