There were 72 companies sanctioned in the more than 200 cases across both countries: 16 Peruvian and 56 Colombian. Although the cases haven’t been closed, officials in both countries have already levied 169 fines against 36 oil companies: 16 in Peru and 20 in Colombia. The total surpasses more than $55 million, of which 98.8% went against Peruvian companies.
The following companies, according to the information provided by OEFA, have received the most fines to date: Pluspetrol Norte S.A., with 73 cases; Pacific Stratus Energy del Perú S.A. (17); and Maple Gas Corporation del Perú S.R.L. (14).
Businesses with the most sanctions in the Colombian Orinoquía.
Most-impacted natural resources by country (Soil, flora, water, fauna, air).
Main impacts
Water, soil and vegetation were most impacted by the oil spills in the Peruvian Amazon and Colombian Orinoquía between 2011 and 2021.
In Peru, there was damage to the soil in 45 cases, to vegetation in 24 cases, and to water in 20, according to the information supplied to ManchadosXelPetróleo.
In the Colombia Orinoquía, the natural resources most impacted by the spills were water, with 56 cases, followed by vegetation and water with 26 each.
The most common environmental damage in Peru was caused by crude oil spills from tank overflow, leaks from pipes, and the disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. In Colombia, the spills affected rivers, streams and surface and groundwater concessions, while also creating problems with wastewater discharge permits.
In the Peruvian region of Loreta alone, there were 120 sanctions. In Orinoquía, there were 139.
In Peru, the oil fields with the highest number of sanctions were Lot 8 (with 47), Lot 1AB (20), Lot 95 (five), and the Norperuano pipeline (four). For Colombia, the information provided to ManchadosXelPetróleo wasn’t broken down into fields.
Millions in fines
Pluspetrol Norte of Peru and Perenco Colombia received the most sanctions and highest number of fines, according to information provided by OEFA in Peru and Corporinoquia and Cormacarena in Colombia.
Perenco Colombia Limited, with nine fines, paid a total of $169,633 in 27 cases. The second-most fined company is Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos Ecopetrol S.A. with three fines that added up to $110,167. In third place is Ingecoleos LTDA, with two fines totaling $6,815.
In Peru, Pluspetrol Norte topped the list of most-fined companies with a total of $47,322,662. In second place is Maple Gas Corporation with 14 fines for a total of $685,685.
In third place is Petróleos del Perú – Petroperu, which had two fines adding up to $4,959,033. This case stands out among the others because one of the fines was for $4,956,772, handed out for violating environmental regulations and not adopting adequate preventive measures for controlling an oil leak in the Norperuano Pipeline – Section II. The incident affected the Numpatkain creek and some areas of the Red River, as well as public health and the surrounding flora and fauna. Petroperú has appealed the punishment.
One other discovery of note in Peru is that at least two of the penalized companies appear to be in liquidation: Pluspetrol Norte S.A. and Maple Gas Corporation del Perú S.R.L. Some experts and Peruvian officials interviewed for this series say it’s an exit strategy that will allow them to skirt repercussions.
Banner image: A tanker truck in the Buenavista reserve in Colombia, home to the Siona Indigenous people. The image was tweeted out on Feb. 27, 2021, by the account @PuebloZiobain, with a caption attributed to reserve leader Mario Erazo saying, in Spanish, “The government says extracting oil leads to development. For us, as Indigenous people, it means extermination.”
This story was reported by Mongabay’s Latam team and first published here on our Latam site on April 19, 2022.
Article published by Hayat
Conflict, Conservation, Environment, Forests, Fossil Fuels, Indigenous Peoples, Oil, Oil Spills, Protected Areas
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Latin America, Peru, South America
Source link : https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/the-price-of-oil-spills-in-peru-and-colombia-millions-of-dollars-in-fines/
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Publish date : 2022-05-20 03:00:00
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