Peru Oil Spill: An 'Ecological Disaster' That Is Bigger Than Previously Reported
Crude oil washes ashore at the Chacra y Mar beach, close to Huaral, Peru, on January 27, 2022, 65 kilometers north of the site where a spill occurred during the offloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker "Mare Doricum" at La Pampilla refinery, north of Lima on January 15, caused by the abnormal waves recorded after an eruption of the Tonga volcano. CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP via Getty Images

The oil spill off Peru's coast was twice as big as previously reported, with officials describing it as an "ecological disaster" and blaming it for the deaths of local fish and seabirds.

Environment Minister Ruben Ramirez said on Friday that almost 12,000 barrels of oil leaked into the sea on January 15, according to a BBC News report.

The oil spill in Peru happened when a tanker loading oil into the La Pampilla refinery was hit by strong waves connected to a volcanic eruption on Tonga. The waves moved the ship and caused the spill.

The La Pampilla refinery is owned by the Spanish firm Repsol. Peru's prime minister, Mirtha Vasquez, told the press that Repsol's La Pampilla refinery did not have a contingency plan for an oil spill.

Peru Oil Spill

Repsol officials initially described the oil spill as "limited" and said that it was working with authorities to clean up the beaches, according to The Guardian.

Peru's foreign ministry called on the company to "immediately compensate" for the damage caused by the oil spill that inflicted "serious harm to hundreds of fishermen's families."

The ministry also said it had endangered the flora and fauna in two protected natural areas. However, Tine Van Den Wall Bake, a spokesperson for Repsol, denied that the company should accept responsibility for the incident.

She said on national radio that the company did not cause the ecological disaster, and they could not say who was responsible.

Christel Scheske, conservation specialist from the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, said the environmental and social impacts of the Repsol oil spill in both the short and long term are devastating.

Scheske noted that the company's response has been weak, and the oil spill affected a highly biodiverse part of the Peruvian coast, including two protected areas important for Peru's astounding marine biodiversity.

Peru's environment ministry said the refinery could face a fine of up to $34.5 million as prosecutors investigated the company for environmental contamination.

Repsol Executives Barred From Leaving Peru

A judge in Peru has prohibited four executives of Repsol from leaving the country for 18 months as authorities investigate the oil spill.

Judge Romualdo Aguedo granted the prosecution's request to prevent Jaime Fernandez-Cuesta Luca de Tena, the company's president, from leaving the country with other executives.

Aguedo noted that there was a "potential risk" that the four would leave Peru, Aljazeera reported. Lawyers for the Repsol executives did not appeal the decision and said they would collaborate with the investigation.

Repsol's president is accused of being responsible for the crime of "environmental pollution to the detriment of the state." Meanwhile, the three other executives were considered as "accomplices."

Peru's Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement said the Spanish oil company did not follow the deadline to identify the damaged areas.

Repsol noted that some 2,000 people were cleaning up the damage with the support of 119 heavy machines on land. They were also using 11 floating tanks and 52 boats.

La Pampilla is Peru's largest oil refinery. It also accounts for 54 percent of its refining capacity.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Peru Oil Spill: Judge Bars Repsol Executives From Leaving Country - From Al Jazeera English