Protesting the Fourth Gas Spill of the Camisea Project, Communities Demand an Independent Audit of the Entire Pipeline
The indigenous organizations COMARU, CECONAMA and FECONAYY of the Urubamba River, in Cusco, Peru today initiated a blockade of the Urubamba River in protest of the fourth gas leak of the Camisea Project, which took place on the 24th of
November, and which has caused the death of fish and animals, the main food source for indigenous communities of the Urubamba basin, in addition to poisoning the
region’s inhabitants.
The spill took place following a break in the pipeline carrying gas from Camisea to the Peruvian coast between points 50 and 52of Right of Way, in the Cordillera de
Vilcabamba, District of Echarte, department of Cusco, affecting Machiguenga, Yines, and Ashaninka communities.
As reminder, when the third spill took place last September, Peruvian the Minister of Energy Mines (MEM), Glodomiro Sanchez, demanded better control of TGP company
operations and asked OSINERG, the Peruvian energy regulatory agency, to audit the system. In addition, the Minister called for the adoption of urgent measures “so that this never happens again and stops affecting relations between the companies and the community.”
At the same time, representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mines promised the Machiguenga communities that this would be the last spill, and were it happen again, MEM and OSINERG would suspend TGP gas operations.
DEMANDS
The indigenous organizations demand the following of government officials, the Camisea consortium and the Inter-American Development Bank:
a) An independent environmental audit of the entire pipeline.
b) Suspension of all project operations until guarantees can be made that there will be no more spills.
c) That representatives of DIGESA, OSINERG and the Camisea Ombudsman retain a permanent presence in the area.
d) That company and State decision makers visit the region.
e) That regional and local government representatives, representatives of the Camisea Ombudsman and the press visit the region.
f) That the agreement for electrification of the area is completed.
g) That the central Camisea Ombudsman position is weakened, while the community ombudsman strengthened.
Chronology of Spills
22/12/04
– Break in the LNG pipeline and LNG spill
– Points 8+800, Kemariato ravine, right edge of the Urubamba River. Rural settlement of Túpac Amaru, District of Echarate, Department of Cusco.
– Volume de hydrocarbon spilled was 115 m3
– Estimated amount of land contaminated by hydrocarbons was 300 m3
29/08/05
– Break in the pipeline and LNG spill
– KP 220+500, pumping station located in Pancobamba, Department of Apurímac.
– Presence of four LNG stains two meters from the Right of Way, which lead to the suspension of the pumping of natural gas liquids.
16/09/05
– Break and spill of LNG
– KP 200+700, locality of Toccate- District of Anco, Department of Ayacucho.
– Approximate volume of liquid hydrocarbons was 4,000 barrels, 37% evaporated and the remainder leached into the ground, with estimates of 1,000 barrels of liquid hydrocarbon reaching the Alfarpampa or Chunchubamba rivers.
24/11/05
– Break and spill of LNG
– Between points 50 and 52 of the Right of Way, in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba region, District of Echarate, Department of Cusco.
– According to OSINERG estimates, between 4,500 and 6,000 barrels spilled. This is comporable to [one of] the largest spill in history, that of Saramuro on the edge of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve where 5,500 barrels of petroleum were spilled on October 3, 2000.
We appreciate the distribution of this news:
WALTER KATEGARI IRATSIMERI
JEFE DE COMARU
LUIS VASQUEZ RÍOS
PRESIDENTE DE CECONAM
MARÍA URQUÍA CAMPOS
FECONAYY
* Translated from original Spanish to English by the Amazon Alliance
