Peru's Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez said on Monday the government was looking at sanctioning a major local refinery owned by Spanish energy firm Repsol after an oil spill last week, and did not rule out suspending operations at the facility.
Biologists from the National Service of Protected Natural Areas , work on a bird affected by the oil spill pollution caused by abnormal waves triggered by a massive underwater volcanic eruption half a world away in Tonga, in Ancon, Peru, January 21, 2022.
The oil spill, blamed on unusual waves triggered by a volcanic eruption in Tonga over a week ago, has affected an area of up to 9 million square meters, the government has said. It has been termed an "ecological disaster".Vásquez said that aside from sanctions against Repsol and the demands to restore the affected areas, prosecutors were investigating the case for alleged environmental crimes and the state was evaluating compensation for those affected.