Brazil Races to Avoid Oil Spill in Amazon River
2/8/00
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Title: Brazil races to avoid oil spill in Amazon river
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: February 8, 2000
BRASILIA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities scrambled on Monday
to avert an environmental disaster in the Amazon jungle after a barge
holding nearly 500,000 gallons (1.8 million liters) of oil sunk to
the bottom of the world's largest river network.
Diving teams plunged into the depths of the Rio Para, in the remote
jungle state of Para, to remove tanks from the vessel which sank
Friday while transporting the fuel for U.S. oil giant Texaco.
``Environmental advisers are working alongside the diving teams to
prevent ecological damage,'' said Mauricio Andres Ribeiro at Brazil's
environment ministry.
The accident came just two weeks after a major oil spill in Rio de
Janeiro, where a pipeline at state oil giant Petrobras' flagship
refinery burst spewing 345,000 gallons (1.3 million liters) of fuel
into a scenic bay.
The leak destroyed local fishing industry, contaminated biological
reserves and killed wildlife in the area's worst ecological disaster
in 25 years.
Petrobras was fined $28 million for the accident, and officials said
they have not ruled out similar sanctions in the case of the Amazon
wreck.
``There will be a study on the accident's causes and damage, and if
damages to the ecosystems in the area are determined, there will be a
fine,'' Ribeiro said.
Texaco and state environmental officials have already laid down
floating walls to prevent a potential spill from spreading upriver.
But Texaco's regional manager, Jose Ferreira Amin, told the press
that there was virtually no risk of a spill, since the cooler
temperatures at the bottom of the river have thickened the oil.
``Even if there were (a spill) there would not a problem since the
oil thickens with the cold,'' Amin said.
Texaco has contracted Smith American Inc. and Oil Spill Response Ltd.
to coordinate the clean-up operation.