From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: ECUADOR: HUGE BLANKET OF OIL MOVES TOWARDS THE AMAZON
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 23:16:44 GMT

/** reg.samerica: 187.0 **/
** Topic: IPS:Ecuador: Huge Blanket of Oil **
** Written  1:47 pm  Aug  8, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.samerica **
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: IPS:Ecuador: Huge Blanket of Oil

/* Written 12:36 am  Aug  8, 1992 by newsdesk in
cdp:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ECUADOR: HUGE BLANKET OF OIL MOVES TOWARDS THE AMAZON
RIVER

quito, aug 5 (ips) -- a huge blanket of oil, spilled in what has
now been recognized as one of the worst oil accidents in recent
years here, continues to move slowly down ecuador's napo river
towards the amazon river, leaving thousands of dead fish in its
wake.

initial reports had it that 3,000 barrels of oil were spilled in
the accident, which occurred one week ago at a field owned by the
state petroleum company, petroecuador.

however, the director of the company's environmental department,
manuel navarro, said wednesday that after a visit to the area, it
was discovered that 5,000 barrels had leaked into the river,
making the spill ''one of the most serious in recent years.''

the incident, which occurred in northeastern ecuador, contaminated
over 60 kilometres of the napo river, one of the amazon's biggest
and most powerful waterways.

navarro, who accused the operators of the oilfield of acting with
''negligence'', termed the situation ''serious.''

he said that to reduce the damage caused by the spill,
petroecuador's technicians have placed dams to prevent any more of
the spilt oil from flowing into the river.

a television channel which sent a crew to the area showed pictures
which corroborated reports by ecological groups that had denounced
that the disaster was of tremendous proportions.

pictures showed the large black sheet of liquid moving slowly down
the napo, which flows into the amazon river, killing hundreds of
fish and depriving the people who live along the river of water.

''it is a big disaster which adds yet another monument to the
irresponsibility with which petroecuador works,'' the ecuadorean
ecological organization tierra viva said wednesday.

petroecuador officials had originally minimized the severity of
the spill, claiming that ''everything is under control,'' but
their declarations were belied by the dramatic images shown on
television.

it is only since january of this year that petroecuador and
foreign companies working in the ecuadorean amazon have been
obliged to observe environment protection norms under a
''ministerial accord'' which, however, does not provide any heavy
sanctions.

the maximum penalty is a 25,000 dollar fine, which the energy
ministry recently imposed on petroecuador for the napo river
spill. (more)
----

a petroecuador study which ips was able to obtain reveals that
, since 1972, over 450,000 barrels of oil have been spilled into
the ecuadorean amazon and only a minute percentage of the 364
wells run by the state petroleum company comply with the technical
norms needed to prevent damage to the environment.

it adds that 226 of petroecuador's 364 wells belch petroleum into
the surrounding areas and almost all have storage pools in poor
condition and without drainage.

the study also gives examples of the severe ecological impact of
the oil industry, including the disappearance of vegetable and
animal species. up to 94 percent of the animal and plant life has
been lost in some petroleum mining areas, it states.

ecuador occupies the fifth place in the world with regard to the
number of mammals, fourth place in the number of birds, third in
amphibians and reptiles and second in butterflies , according to
another study, done by the ecological organization ''fundacion
natura''.

oil mining is carried out in 3,600 square kilometres in the
country's amazon region and exploration is being conducted in
another 30,000 sq. km, which means that close to 30 percent of
ecuador's amazon territory is involved in petroleum-related
activities.

organizations of amazonian amerindians have warned that if the
ecological degradation continues, they would move to prevent oil
mining and use force to do so, if necessary.

the organizations groups have called for the ''immediate''
indemnization of the people living along the napo  river, a
request which petroecuador's navarro offered to attend to on
monday. (end/ips/trd/so/dc-sfi/kb/92)
----
** End of text from cdp:reg.samerica **