Peru Declares Environmental Emergency Due to Oil Spill
Environmental remediation actions on the Peruvian coast, Dec. 26, 2024. X/ @ElAragueno
December 26, 2024 Hour: 10:09 am
Authorities deployed teams to rescue species impacted by the spill at Las Capullanas beach.
On Thursday, the Peruvian government declared a 90-day environmental state of emergency for a marine area along the northern coast that was affected by an oil spill in the province of Talara in Piura, a region near the border with Ecuador.
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This measure aims to ensure the sustainable management of the area and the execution of recovery and remediation efforts to mitigate environmental pollution. The decree approved an immediate and short-term action plan that will include containment, cleanup, and recovery efforts in the affected areas, with priority given to protecting ecosystems and the health of local communities.
These actions will cover an area stretching from the Talara refinery to the beaches of Cabo Blanco, Las Capullanas, Punta Malacas, Yapato, El Alto, Peña Negra, and Retin de Cabo Blanco. Monitoring will be conducted in the impacted areas to assess the spill’s effects and adopt further remediation measures.
The Environment Ministry (Minam) recalled that on December 21, the Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guards reported the presence of hydrocarbons in the area of the Multibuoy Terminal at the Talara refinery to the Environmental Assessment and Oversight Agency (OEFA).
It added that OEFA immediately began supervision and verification of the initial response actions carried out by the state-owned company Petroperu and established a work schedule to monitor the spill’s impact on water, sediment, and marine fauna.
Before approving the emergency declaration, the ministry requested detailed reports from the agencies involved and held meetings in Piura with entities affiliated with the Ministries of Energy and Mines, Health, Foreign Trade and Tourism, Defense, and Agrarian Development.
On Monday, Petroperu’s Manager Oscar Vera, assured that the entire area affected by the oil spill had already been cleaned and that approximately 150 affected fishermen had been registered.
The National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor) deployed teams to rescue and rehabilitate species impacted by the spill at Las Capullanas beach in the Lobitos district of Piura. During a 3-to-4-kilometer survey of four nearby beaches, Serfor reported evidence of damage to habitats, aquatic resources, and sea turtle nesting areas.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office also launched an investigation against Petroperu for environmental pollution stemming from the spill, which, according to the state-owned company, occurred during pre-loading maneuvers involving the tanker Polyaigos at the underwater terminal of the Talara refinery.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
