Peru declares emergency after oil spill

Peru's government declared an environmental emergency in a northern coastal area where state oil firm Petroperu last weekend spilled a crude oil shipment into surrounding waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The spill took place as a vessel carried out pre-shipment manoeuvres at a terminal of Peru's Talara refinery in northern Peru. Footage showed an oil-stained beach in Piura as Petroperu workers cleaned up the shoreline.

Petroperu has not said how much crude was spilled into the sea, but Peru's environmental watchdog OEFA said in a preliminary report it has affected some 10,000 square metres of surface seawater, and the environment ministry said it has affected at least seven beaches as well as local wildlife.

Local authorities have said the spill has damaged coastal plants and animals such as crabs, while fishermen say the spill has stopped them from working.

According to state-owned energy company Petroperu, the cleaning of half a dozen beaches in Talara province has almost finished and work was planned to mitigate the impact on birds, fauna and commerce in the area, whose population relies on fishing and tourism.

The emergency measure will be in effect for 90 days, during which time the authorities must carry out recovery and remediation work, according to an environment ministry resolution cited by state news agency Andina.

The leak was detected on Las Capullanas beach when the crude oil was about to be loaded onto a tanker, the company said at the weekend without specifying the cause or amount of oil spilled.

The government's Environmental Assessment and Oversight Agency said the leaked oil extended over an area of 47 to 229 hectares.

The public prosecutor's office launched an investigation against Petroperu for the alleged crime of environmental contamination that it said had affected the sea and shore along the South American nation's Pacific coastline.