An oil slick from a leaking pipeline has contaminated a major Amazonian river that runs between Ecuador and Colombia, reported Spanish press agency EFE on Monday.
The Trans-Andean oil pipeline reported a leak last Thursday, and the Ecuadorian Environmental Ministry is now warning that a large oil slick is spreading on the shores of the San Miguel river, which forms the border between the southern Colombian state of Putumayo and the Ecuadorian province of Sucumbios.
Both Colombian national authorities and the representatives from Ecopetrol, the state-affiliated oil giant that owns the pipeline, have claimed they are addressing the spill.
Ecuador’s Environmental Minister indicated his country will be investigating the situation to ensure that cleanup efforts are taken and the proper damages are paid.
Colombia is no stranger to environment problems caused by oil leaks.
Over the past years, the southern states of Nariño and Putumayo suffered numerous oil spills, particulary as a result of alleged FARC pipeline attacks.
MORE: ‘FARC attack on pipeline’ causes oil spill in southern Colombia
San Miguel river
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