UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED n a RELEASED IN FULL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 ACTION WHA-00 INFO LIMA 06495 01 OF 02 Page 1 PTQ6900 312054Z @ LOG-00 DODE-00 E-00 INR-00 NSCE-00 PRS-00 T-00 SAS-00 NP-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 CTME-00 CEA-01 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 I0-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSF-01 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 ACE-00 SP-00 SS-00 SSO-00 STR-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 012W ------------------9911D5 312054Z 38 R 312052Z OCT 00 FM AMEMBASSY LIMA TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7161 INFO AMEMBASSY BOGOTA AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES AMEMBASSY BRASILIA AMEMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMEMBASSY QUITO AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO CIMS NTDB WASHDC DINT-00 EXME-00 TEDE-00 NSAE-00 PM-00 TRSE-00 NFAT-00 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 006495 STATE FOR WHA EB AND OES COMMERCE FOR 4331 MAC WH OLA SCOTT SMITH DEPT PASS INT USGS RESTON FOR AGURMENDI DEPT PASS TDA FOR AANGULO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 LIMA 06495 01 OF 02 DEPT PASS OPIC FOR J BRACHE DEPT PASS EXIM FOR DON HULTMAN 312054Z E O 12958 N A TAGS ECON SENV EPET KTDB PE SUBJECT UPDATE ON OIL SPILL IN AMAZON TRIBUTARY REF LIMA 6062 1 SUMMARY THE PARTIAL SINKING OF A BARGE CHARTERED BY PLUSPETROL IN THE MARANON RIVER ON OCTOBER 3 SPILLED CRUDE OIL IN THIS TRIBUTARY TO THE AMAZON RIVER REFTEL THE EMBASSY HAS SINCE LEARNED THAT ABOUT 5 500 BARRELS OF HEAVY CRUDE OIL WAS SPILLED AND THAT THIS STRETCH OF THE MARANON RIVER IS THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF PERU'S LARGEST NATIONAL n a UNCLASSIFIED UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY NORMAN M BOUTON DATE CASE ID 27 JAN 2004 200302345 UNCLASSIFIED Pag» UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED n a Page 2 RESERVE AND THE SECOND LARGEST IN THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN THERE HAVE BEEN INITIAL REPORTS OF CONTAMINATED FISHERIES CROPS AND WATER SUPPLIES AFFECTING SOME 20 000 RESIDENTS POTENTIAL LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE REMAINS TO BE FULLY ASSESSED PLUSPETROL HAS DISPUTED THE GOP'S FINE OF NEARLY USD 500 THOUSAND END SUMMARY 5 500 BARRELS SPILLED AT EDGE OF PERU'S LARGEST RESERVE 2 ON OCTOBER 3 A PLUSPETROL BARGE LEASED FROM THE PERUVIAN NAVY PARTIALLY SANK NEAR THIS ARGENTINE FIRM'S SARAMURO TERMINAL ALONG THE MARANON RIVER SPILLING APPROXIMATELY 5 500 BARRELS OF HEAVY CRUDE OIL INTO THIS AMAZON RIVER TRIBUTARY PLUSPETROL LEADS THE CONSORTIUM THAT WAS RECENTLY AWARDED THE CONCESSION TO DEVELOP PERU'S UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 LIMA 06495 CAMISEA NATURAL GAS FIELD 01 OF 02 312054Z 3 ACCORDING TO EMBASSY CONTACTS FROM THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINES MEM THE BARGE BEGAN TAKING ON WATER IN ONE OF ITS AIR CHAMBERS CAUSING IT TO SINK ALMOST COMPLETELY A PLUSPETROL EXECUTIVE TOLD US THAT THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE INTAKE OF WATER HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED FAILING IN ITS INITIAL EFFORTS TO REFLOAT THE VESSEL PLUSPETROL DEPLOYED SO-FOOT LONG BOOMS AROUND THE SUNKEN VESSEL IN AN EFFORT TO CONTAIN THE SPILL AND HIRED ABOUT 120 PEOPLE FROM THE AREA FOR CLEAN-UP EFFORTS THE FIRM ALSO BROUGHT IN FOODSTUFFS WATER SUPPLIES AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL TO ASSIST HEALTH MINISTRY STAFF IN RESPONDING TO POSSIBLE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS 4 THE MARANON RIVER REPRESENTS THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE PACAYA-SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON OVER 2 MILLION HECTARES IN SIZE IT CONTAINS A RICH DIVERSITY OF FLORA AND FAUNA AND IS BY FAR PERU'S LARGEST NATIONAL RESERVE ABOUT 2-1 2 TIMES THE COMBINED ACREAGE OF PERU'S SEVEN OTHER NATIONAL RESERVES IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST RESERVE IN THE ENTIRE AMAZON BASIN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON RESEARCH INSTITUTE IIAP REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN THE RESERVE 5 WITHIN THREE TO FOUR DAYS OF THE ACCIDENT SCIENTISTS FROM IIAP AND THE NATIONAL NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE INRENA FOUND THAT THE CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY THE SPILL EXTENDED SOME 150 KILOMETERS DOWNSTREAM ALONG THE RIVER REPRESENTING ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE PACAYA-SAMIRIA RESERVE'S NORTHERN BOUNDARY IIAP FOUND CONTAMINATION AT n a UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Pag» UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED n a Page 3 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 LIMA 06495 01 OF 02 312054Z LEVELS OF UP TO FIVE AND A HALF TIMES MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVELS FOR OIL-BASED SUBSTANCES IIAP ALSO OBSERVED THAT PLUSPETROL'S CLEAN-UP EFFORTS APPEARED TO BE LARGELY RUDIMENTARY 6 APPROXIMATELY 20 000 RESIDENTS IN 86 COMMUNITIES DEPEND ON THE RIVER FOR ITS FISHERIES AND WATER SUPPLY ALTHOUGH THE FULL EXTENT OF THE SPILL'S ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AUTHORITIES WORRY ABOUT ADVERSE IMPACTS ON FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE AREA RESIDENTS COMPLAIN THAT PLUSPETROL'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE WATER SUPPLIES FAIL TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF WATER FROM THE RIVER THE MEM ALSO REPORTED THAT VARIOUS RICE PADDIES IN THE REGION HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE OIL SLICK HAS BEEN DISPERSED WITHIN THE RIVER'S MAIN CHANNEL OIL DEPOSITS ON EXPOSED SANDBARS AND VEGETATION ALONG THE RIVERBANK COULD RESULT IN LONGER LASTING CONSEQUENCES IIAP IS CONCERNED THAT THE COMBINATION OF INCOMPLETE CLEAN-UP EFFORTS AND RISING WATER LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ONCOMING RAINY SEASON COULD PUSH THE CONTAMINATION EVEN FARTHER INTO ADJOINING HABITAT PLUSPETROL DISPUTES GOP FINE OF NEARLY USD SOOK UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 ACTION WHA-00 LIMA 06495 02 OF 02 PTQ6901 312054Z CEA-01 AID-00 CIAE-00 CTME-00 NP-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 FRB-00 H-01 FAAE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 IO-00 ITC-01 VCE-00 AC-01 L-00 OPIC-01 NSF-01 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 STR-00 ACE-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 DRL-02 G-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 012W ------------------9911D8 312054Z 38 R 3120522 OCT 00 FM AMEMBASSY LIMA TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7162 INFO AMEMBASSY BOGOTA AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES AMEMBASSY BRASILIA INFO LOG-00 DODE-00 E-00 INR-00 NSCE-00 PRS-00 T-00 SAS-00 n a UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED DINT-00 EXME-00 TEDE-00 NSAE-00 PM-00 TRSE-00 NFAT-00 Pag» - UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED n a AMEMBASSY AMEMBASSY AMEMBASSY AMEMBASSY CIMS NTDB Page 4 CARACAS LA PAZ QUITO SANTIAGO WASHDC UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 LIMA 006495 STATE FOR WHA EB AND OES COMMERCE FOR 4331 MAC WH OLA SCOTT SMITH DEPT PASS INT USGS RESTON FOR AGURMENDI DEPT PASS TOA FOR AANGULO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 LIMA 06495 02 OF 02 DEPT PASS OPIC FOR J BRACHE DEPT PASS EXIM FOR DON HULTMAN 312054Z E O 12958 N A TAGS ECON SENV EPET KTDB PE SUBJECT UPDATE ON OIL SPILL IN AMAZON TRIBUTARY 7 ON OCTOBER 18 PERU'S ENERGY REGULATORY BODY OSINERG ORDERED PLUSPETROL TO PAY A FINE OF ABOUT USD 497 THOUSAND WITHIN 30 DAYS PLUSPETROL HAS CHALLENGED THE FINE ARGU NG THAT THE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES HAVE YET TO BE FULLY DETERMINED THE EMBASSY WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE SITUATION AND REPORT ON SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS HAMILTON · UNCLASSIFIED END OF DOCUMENT n a UNCLASSIFIED Pag» UNCLASSIFIED ·•- • •C ' • •