As Rivers Run Black in Peru, Indigenous Tribes Left Cleaning Big Oil's Disaster
Published on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
As Rivers Run Black in Peru, Indigenous Tribes Left Cleaning Big Oil's Disaster
"Those responsible, where are they?" Water supply and delicate ecosystem contaminated by spate of oil spills in Amazon
by Nika Knight, staff writer
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Indigenous people are struggling to clean up 3,000 barrels oil that have poured into the Chiriaco and Morona tributaries of the Amazon River. (Photo: Amazon Watch)
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A disastrous spate of oil spills in the Peruvian Amazon have gone from bad to worse in recent days, leaving Indigenous tribes frantically trying to clean up the mess left by the nation's state-owned oil company.
The catastrophic ruptures in Petroperu's Northern Peruvian Pipeline occurred on January 25th and February 3rd and have threatened the water supply of nearly 10,000 indigenous people, says Amazon Watch.
On Monday, Petroperu officials confirmed to Reuters that the oil has poured into two critical Amazon River tributaries that eight Achuar tribes depend on for water. According to the news agency, these two tributaries of the Amazon River, the Chiriaco and Morona rivers, are now filled with 3,000 barrels of oil.
Critics charge that the spills continued to spread and caused far worse damage after the responsible company, Petroperu, failed to act to contain the oil released by the pipeline breakages.
More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/23/rivers-run-black-peru-indigenous-tribes-left-cleaning-big-oils-disaster
Environment & Energy:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112797365
