Oil spill in Ventanilla: “No link in the food chain is spared from damage in this type of event”

The oil spill in Window Last Saturday, January 15, brings us back to a situation that, unfortunately, occurs from time to time in our country. Although the La Pampilla Refinery commented that this incident was caused by the violent waves caused by the eruption of the volcano in the Tonga Sea, the consequences are clear: the fauna that inhabits the coasts of the Callao district will be affected.

Even if, according to what was notified by the General Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guards of Peru (DICAPI), the incident was dealt with quickly by the company and the corresponding authorities, the environmental impact of this type of event is immense and always ends up harming the people who live in the vicinity of the affected area and, above all, to the animals that inhabit that area.

Below we explain how this fact has damaged the coastal ecosystem of Ventanilla and, therefore, its entire food chain.

Case ‘Mare Dorium’

On Sunday, January 16, the La Pampilla Refinery and the Ventanilla authorities confirmed that there had been an oil spill on the Bahía Blanca and Costa Azul beaches, at the company’s Multiboyas No. 2 terminal.

The statement issued by the company mentioned that the strong waves produced by the volcanic eruption in the Tonga Sea, the same one that caused damage and tsunami alerts in several countries, were the ones that caused the Mare Dorium vessel – a tanker of Italian origin in which hydrocarbons were being loaded – would dump its contents into the water.

After confirming the fact, the Municipality of Ventanilla and Police rescue personnel evacuated more than 200 bathers and closed the Bahía Blanca and Costa Azul beaches with the intention of avoiding any risk to people. Unfortunately, some animals in the area were seriously affected. According to statements by neighbors interviewed by Canal N, some guano birds could be seen dying from the spill.

Pedro Spadaro, mayor of Ventanilla, mentioned through his Facebook account that the Municipality would work together with the corresponding authorities to delegate responsibilities. “Terrible oil spill in the Ventanilla Sea that threatens our ecosystem. From the Municipality of Ventanilla we will lead the work to compensate for this damage as soon as possible and we urge the competent authorities to determine the causes of this fact and establish responsibilities”, he mentioned.

Finally, on the morning of January 17, the National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) reported that the situation has finally been controlled, but the cleaning of the sea continues with the joint work of the local authorities. It is for this reason that the Police and the Municipality continue to restrict people’s access to the affected beaches.

A not so unrelated incident

Trade talked with Hector Aponte, doctor in Biology, expert in ecosystems and coastal wetlands and editor of the magazine South Sustainability, in order to clarify the effects caused by the oil spill in the Ventanilla Sea both on the coast and on the fauna that inhabits said areas.

, Aponte mentioned when asked about his opinion on this situation and the ways in which the authorities and the responsible Refinery have acted to resolve the crisis as quickly as possible.

As is well known, hydrocarbon spills in the ocean are so harmful that their toxic properties remain in the environment even long after they have occurred. But until more details are known about the oil that was to be loaded onto the ship, determining the impact is somewhat unlikely. Aponte contributes: .

As the expert mentions, despite all the actions of the agents that participated in the operation to control the oil crisis, the main affected were, and will continue to be, the specimens that have this area as their home. said the biologist.

However, it should be noted that this incident has not been an event that occurs after a long time in Peru. The study titled “The Shadow of Oil”” published in 2020 by the Subgroup on Oil Spills of the National Human Rights Coordinator (authored by Aymara León and Mario Zúñiga) revealed that between 2000 and 2019 there were 474 spills in the Peruvian Amazon, causing more than two thousand places are highly affected by pollution, especially in the Northern Amazon.

But why have these abuses against the environment gone so unnoticed in the eyes of the population despite the fact that foreign environmental organizations consider it an urgent issue? Aponte answered this question by mentioning the following: .

“In recent years, the effort made to prevent these accidents has been noticeable, but I think we have work ahead of us. We must protect nature and its species, this implies avoiding this type of spills”Aponte concluded.