6 000 barrels of crude oil spilled a week ago on the Peruvian coast, north of Lima. The government announced on Saturday an “environmental emergency”.
The intense eruption of the submarine volcano in Tonga, which occurred on January 16, caused strong waves that reached the west coast of South America. In Peru this impact effect occurred during the unloading of crude oil from the ship Mare Dorium, from the refinery of La Pampilla, property of the Spanish company Repsol. Located in the region of Lima, more than 6,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the sea of Ventanilla causing an important oil spill.
The authorities declared the region in a state of emergency for 90 days, they hope so a “sustainable management of the affected areas”, with “recovery and sanitation works” to mitigate the consequences of this disaster.
Hundreds of kilometers of beach and reef have been contaminated, in addition to the death of thousands of animals such as birds, fish and shellfish.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, ocean currents spread the fuel along the coast, affecting more than 21 beaches. This endangers the flora and fauna in two natural protected areas, the National Reserve of the System of Islands and Islets “on about 512 hectares” and the Ancon Protected Area “on 1,758 hectares”.
The potential economic effects of the oil spill are of concern, including the inability to fish. In addition to the fishing industry, the tourism sector has been directly affected, including restaurant owners, umbrella renters, beach vendors, etc. The Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Roberto Sanchez, estimated the economic losses at more than 50 million dollars on Saturday.
Responsibilities
While the spill has been called an “environmental disaster” by the government, Repsol says it is not responsible. According to the company, it is the fault of the Peruvian maritime authorities who did not issue warnings about the increase in waves after the eruption in Tonga. The company Repsol is however pointed the finger in many similar cases.
