Peru seeks compensation for the catastrophic oil spill caused by the Tonga volcano | Peru

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Peru has demanded compensation from Spanish oil giant Repsol after strange waves of a volcanic eruption near Tonga caused an oil spill described as the worst environmental disaster to hit the South American country in recent history.

Peruvian Prime Minister Mirta Vázquez told reporters on Wednesday that the Pampila refinery, operated by Repsol, “apparently” had no contingency plan for the oil spill.

The country’s foreign ministry called on the company to “immediately compensate” for damages caused by Saturday’s spill that “seriously damaged hundreds of fishermen’s families” and “endangered plants and animals” in two protected natural areas. .

Authorities cordoned off three beaches on Monday after 6,000 barrels of oil spilled while unloading a tanker at the La Pampilla refinery off the coast near Lima, north of the capital, Lima.

Cleaning crews remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 19, 2022, after a spill occurred during the unloading of the Italian-flagged tanker “Marie Doricum” at the La Pampila refinery due to abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. – Peruvian authorities closed three beaches on Monday after a 6,000-barrel oil spill and demanded compensation Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over the oil spill. Photo: Carlos Mandogano/AFP/Getty Images

Pictures on social media and television showed blackened beaches and dozens of dead seabirds soaked in oil, including the rare Humboldt penguin, in an area considered a marine biodiversity hotspot.

Officials at the refinery, operated by Repsol, initially described the spill as “limited” and said it was working with authorities to clean up beaches.

However, there was public dissatisfaction with what was seen as the company’s belated reaction.

Tyne van den Wall Beek, a Repsol spokesman, denied accepting responsibility for the accident.

“We did not cause this environmental disaster and we cannot determine who is responsible,” she told national radio on Wednesday.

Artisan fishermen from a community affected by an oil spill on the shores of the Peruvian province of Callao during the unloading of the Italian-flagged oil tanker “Marie Doricum”, carry a dead bird in a protest on January 19, 2022 in front of the Pampila oil refinery, which is responsible for the accident due to abnormal waves recorded After the volcanic eruption in Tonga. Photo: Chris Boronkel/AFP/Getty Images

Environmental groups criticized the company’s response, as well as those of the Peruvian authorities. Oceana Peru said in a tweet that oil was spreading along the Pacific coast of Peru affecting seabirds, seagulls, terns, sea lions, otters and dolphins.

“The short- and long-term environmental and social impacts of the Repsol oil spill are devastating, and the company’s response has been poor,” said Kristel Chesek, a conservation specialist from the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law.

“The oil spill impacted a highly biodiversity portion of the Peruvian coast, including two protected areas that are important not only to Peru’s amazing marine biodiversity, but also to the more than 1,000 artisanal fishermen in the area who depend on them,” she said.

A bird is seen on the beach during the clean-up process Photo: Pilar Olivares/Reuters

“Heavy metals from crude oil will remain in the ecosystem for many years, making fish, mollusks and other marine species dangerous for human consumption, and affecting the entire marine food web,” Chesek added.

Peru’s environment ministry said on Monday the refinery could face a fine of up to $34.5 million as prosecutors opened an investigation into the company over environmental pollution.

In a tweet, the attorney general’s office said the spill “is the worst environmental disaster in Lima in recent times, and has caused massive damage to hundreds of fishing families. Repsol must compensate for this damage immediately.”

The Energy and Mining Regulatory Authority has ordered Osinergmin to suspend operations at the refinery until the causes of the spill are investigated.

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