On Thursday, the government declared an environmental emergency in the aftermath of a crude oil spill that happened last weekend at a terminal along Peru’s north coast near the Talara refinery. It occurred as the state oil company, Petroperu, conducted the pre-shipment process by a vessel.
The amount of oil spill is not revealed yet but the environmental watchdog OEFA estimated that around 10,000 square meters of seawater has been tainted, affecting at least seven local beaches and endangering coastal wildlife.
Peru’s Ministry of the Environment declared emergency for 90 days to ensure proper management of the area and implementation of cleanup and restoration efforts.
Petroperu has been organizing clean-up initiatives since the spill, deploying brigades, boats, drones, and monitoring equipment to prevent further environmental damage. It also coordinated with fishermen and authorities from the province to minimize the impact it could have on the area’s economy and tourism.
However, the local fishermen have complained of lack of response and economic losses. In Lobitos, fisherman Martin Pasos was very frustrated and shared his views saying that they could not go to work for six days. According to him, the situation is chaotic as the oil company has failed to give them support in earnest.
The authorities have confirmed a significant amount of damage to the coastal ecosystems, including plants and marine life like crabs. The spill has caused much concern about the long-term environmental impact and the effect on local livelihoods.
