According to the government, the oil spill off the coast of Peru is twice as big as previously thought. Instead of 6,000, almost 12,000 barrels of oil spilled, Environment Minister Rubén Ramírez told journalists in Lima on Friday. A good third of the oil has since been removed, for a total of 4,225 barrels, added Deputy Environment Minister Alfredo Mamani.
The Peruvian government declared an environmental emergency last weekend after oil spilled while an oil tanker was being unloaded at a refinery in mid-January. The La Pampilla refinery, owned by the Spanish oil company Repsol, is 30 kilometers north of Lima. The oil slick was carried 140 kilometers further north by the current.
According to the government, more than 180 hectares on the coast and 713 hectares in the sea were contaminated. Thousands of fish and seabirds have died and hundreds of fishermen have lost their livelihoods. The oil spill in the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere also means severe losses for tourism.
According to Repsol, the oil spilled when the tanker was hit by high waves after the volcanic eruption in Tonga. The group accuses the Peruvian authorities of not having issued any tsunami warnings before the accident.
The Peruvian judiciary is now investigating four representatives of the group, including the refinery manager, who comes from Spain. They are not allowed to leave the country for 18 months because of the ongoing investigations.