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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Some 300 to 400 barrels of oil were spilled today in the Marañon river, in the amazonic region of Loreto, according to a spokesperson from Pluspetrol.

The oil spill took place near the town of Urarinas, in Saramuro, near the border with Ecuador, and Pluspetrol reports that they have already started their contingency plan.

Daniel Guerra, an executive from Pluspetrol, said that the spilled oil was part of a shipment of 5,000 barrels that were being transported in the ship “"Sanam 3," that had an accident while in the port of Saramuro.

Guerra said that Pluspetrol is already working to refrain the spill and try to clean the area.

Local residents are complaining on the damage to the river, that is their source of water and fishing; Mayor of Parinari, Carmen Cardenas, announced that she will file a lawsuit if the company does not support any mitigating actions.

This is not the first time that this kind of pollution happens in the Peruvian amazon; there have been similar incidents in the Corrientes river, in 2009, and Oxy has also some previous denounces on the matter in other Loreto regions.

(Photo: EPA)


(Video: djluisito05/Globalizado)

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