The lucrative returns that that have been known to accrue to countries whose territorial spaces have yielded huge volumes of crude oil come at considerable risk, not least, the risk of environmental mishaps that can wreak varying degrees of damage, even longer-term devastation. Oil spills have been known to occur on account of both operating accidents and, sometimes, ill-explained natural disasters. Whatever the reason, these can have far-reaching long-term environmental and ecological damage.
Less than a week ago the South American nation of Peru declared a “ninety-day Environmental Emergency” following a January 15 oil spill which reportedly occurred during the unloading of an oil tanker being operated by the Spanish energy and petrochemical company, Repsol. The Tanker, the report said, was being unloaded at the country’s La Pampilla Refinery currently being operated by Repsol.
The government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the coastal area of Lima, the country’s capital, represents a pointed pronouncement on what it has reportedly described as an “ecological disaster” while the authorities are reportedly working through an Environmental Crisis Committee to mitigate the effects of tragedy.