MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru: Repsol argues area affected by La Pampilla spill is fit for use

Despite Repsol's statement, there is no conclusive evidence that the area affected by the spill is oil-free

The Spanish oil company Repsol said Monday that the Peruvian beaches affected by the 2022 La Pampilla spill were again fit for travelers.

“The beaches in northern Lima, especially those of Ancon, as well as in Ventanilla, Santa Rosa, Chancay, and Aucallama, have been ready for months for fishing, commerce, and recreational activities,” the company said in a statement.

Repsol argued that the beaches were “fit for use and enjoyment,” two years after the incident at the La Pampilla Refinery in which 12,000 barrels of crude fell into the Pacific Ocean north of Lima.

The company insisted the beaches complied with both national and international environmental quality standards, according to reports from recognized and certified laboratories, as well as by local authorities.

In Repsol's words, “activity on the beaches has returned to normal”, especially in the town of Ancon, where bathers congregate on the shores, as well as merchants and hotel and restaurant owners carry out their activities.

”La Pampilla Refinery has allocated more than 1 billion soles (US$ 271 million) in cleanup, remediation, and compensation tasks. Now, we are concentrating our efforts on productive projects for the reactivation of the area, in tourism, fishing, and entrepreneurship,” Repsol also stressed.

The company also pointed out that 98% of those affected (some 10,000 people including fishermen, restaurant owners, street vendors, tattoo artists, and umbrella sellers among others) have received compensation.

Repsol also highlighted that “the cleanup, remediation and daily monitoring actions carried out already guarantee adequate conditions on the beaches and the sea, given that their state does not represent a health risk, according to the highest international standards,” the statement concluded.

Peruvian authorities reported that there was still no conclusive evidence that the area affected by the spill was oil-free.