Peru declared an emergency following the announcement that 21 beaches along the Pacific coast were contaminated after an oil spillage at Repsol’s refinery in Spain. This was due to rising waves from an underwater volcano eruption near Tonga.
Thursday’s announcement by President Pedro Castillo that a committee will be set up to address the crisis, in line with national policies to protect the environment, was made. Mirtha Vsquez, Prime Minster, said Repsol had promised to deliver a cleaning plan, to include local fishermen on the cleanup of beaches and to deliver food to families in need.
Vsquez indicated that the United Nations will send an expert team to help Peru with the oil crisis. Because of health concerns, the 21 polluted beaches are closed to all visitors for now. Peruvian authorities claim that an Italian-flagged vessel spilled 6,000 barrels of oil in the Pacific Saturday, right in front the La Pampilla refining plant. Environmental activists have been collecting oil-stained seabirds and dead seabirds in recent days.
Repsol stated that Peruvian authorities did not provide a tsunami warning and the ship was continuing to load oil to the refinery when it was hit by the waves. Two women from Peru drowned in the Tonga eruption tsunami.
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