on Wednesday questioned the attitude by Repsol company of mixing oil-contaminated sand with clean sand to attempt to show that the contamination level (due to the oil spill in the Ventanilla Sea last January) has already dropped.
"Unfortunately, we have discovered that the Repsol company is applying very dubious techniques, and we would even say unethical ones. We are shocked; it cannot be that they are mixing clean sand with oil-contaminated sand attempting to indicate that the contamination has already decreased," he said in remarks to Radio Nacional.
"It does not seem appropriate to us that Repsol, being a company that relies on so many international resources, is causing an affront to Peru," he emphasized.
Montoya added that he is waiting for the corresponding report to impose the fine for the oil spill and the damage caused.
Afterwards, the minister said that although the damage (at the surface level) at the bottom of the sea is terrible and irreparable, it could take about 10 years because the entire marine fauna in those areas has been affected.
Talara to produce environment-friendly fuel
Regarding the Talara Refinery, Minister Montoya said that it will produce low-polluting high-octane gasoline, which is considered economically and environment-friendly fuel.
According to international standards, it would be the seventh most advanced in the world.
He also stated that the Ministry, within the framework of environmental protection, is promoting renewable energies; that means windmills are already being implemented in the desert near the refinery in Talara, taking advantage of the strong winds in the area.