Environment Minister Ruben Ramirez on Thursday affirmed that Repsol cannot be exempt from an issue that is entirely its responsibility, as is the case of the oil spill on the beaches along the coast of Lima.
"The company cannot be subrogated from an issue that is entirely its responsibility," Ramirez told RPP radio and TV station when asked about the statements made by a Repsol representative, who said the company has no responsibility (for
the oil spill).
In addition, the minister warned that the lack of information provided by the company prevented a timely response, since, at first, Repsol reported the spill of less than one barrel of oil and an iridescent two-meter oil slick.
Ramirez emphasized that Repsol has a contingency plan as this should be presented along with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The government official emphasized that it (the contingency plan) is a "must plan" because the company has to be prepared for eventualities.
For this reason, he affirmed that the company will be sanctioned if it was not prepared for the possible implementation of contingency arrangements.
In addition, the Cabinet member explained that a decisive deadline has been given to Repsol, which proposes three weeks for cleaning up and decontaminating the affected beaches, but he acknowledged that remediation efforts will take much longer.
Oil spill
After meeting with Repsol representatives, Environment Minister Ruben Ramirez pointed out that around 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled.
The oil slick has spread along the coast of Ventanilla, reaching Ancon and Chancay, where a negative impact on marine flora and fauna is registered.
(END) RMCH/VVS/RMB/MVB
Publicado: 20/1/2022