Óscar Vera, general manager of Petroperú, stated that “important agreements were reached” with those affected by the oil spill in Talara, after the meeting that took place last Friday between the residents of Lobitos and the oil company officials. .
“Yesterday the negotiation dialogue table was set up. I chaired the Petroperú Commission and we left the negotiating commission with which conversations began with the community of Lobitos, headed by the mayor and the representatives of each economic sector of the city. The meeting was held as expected and important agreements were reached. We are fully in coordination with the demands that they have been requesting.“, he told RPP.
Vera said that the conversations with the residents of Lobitos will continue and that the dialogue tables have not yet ended. In addition, he assures that the residents are “calm.”
“Yesterday was the beginning of these conversations, this is not over yet. The good thing is that there are agreements and they are practically calm about their aspirations. We are going to continue talking because we understand that in the future there must be other circumstances for the work we have been doing. Surely the mayor and his negotiating team will be able to comment on what we are saying”, he indicated.
SPDA contradicts Petroperú: Talara beaches still have damage from oil spill
The environmental damage caused by the oil spill on the beaches of Talara, Piura, could take longer to be repaired, warned Jean Pierre Araujo, legal advisor for Marine Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA).
During an interview on RPP, he pointed out that superficial cleaning does not imply the recovery of the ecosystem, since biological processes and long-term restoration plans will be necessary.
“Sole containment or cleaning, whether we do not see hydrocarbon superficially in the sea or the shores, does not mean that the ecosystem is already restored, because there will be biological processes that will have to be monitored by the authorities that will generate then a restoration plan”, express.
In addition, Araujo warned about the extension of pollution towards Cabo Blanco, a key area for its marine biodiversity and activities such as fishing and ecotourism, affecting nearly 10,000 square meters.
For their part, the artisanal fishermen of Cabo Blanco denied the statements of the Petroperú manager, Óscar Vera, who assured significant progress in the cleanup. According to Jesús Llenque, representative of the fishermen, the work carried out has not eliminated the remains of oil absorbed by the sand, leaving pollution still present in the area.
