An oil slick off Cartagena on Colombia’s Carribbean coast was spotted on Wednesday, only a week after a similar case, according to local media reports.
The sheen of fuel is reportedly in a section of seawater close to the Bolivar Naval Base, according to Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper.
A report made by the Cartagena branch of Colombia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explained that while the origin of the oil spill was not yet known, an inspection from a marine biologist had ascertained that the fuel was most likely diesel, and therefore likely to evaporate quickly thanks to the strong sun commonly found on the Caribbean coastline.
MORE: Protests halt Cartagena refinery process
Similar to the reported spill a week ago, the fuel spill was small enough that the contaminated area required no isolation. Gabriel Gonzalez Luna, a marine biologist and risk manager at the EPA, said that the spill could have been caused by a boat pouring oil into the water during its journey around the bay, while the breeze and waves had brought the spill in sight of the pedestrians.
“While this does not affect the bay, it still adds up to environmental damage,” Gonzalez said.
Authorities have asked that anyone who sees boats pouring fuel into the sea should contact the Coast Guard on 6550316 to help prevent further incidents.
Further along the northern Colombian coast, coal giant Drummond is being investigated by environmental authorities after diesel fuel leaked from a sinking supply boat in Magdelana state, near the coastal city of Santa Marta.
MORE: Drummond claims newest spill only “10 gallons”
Sources
- Aparece nueva mancha de combustible en la bahía de Cartagena (Caracol Radio)
- Bahia de Cartagena tiene una nueva mancha de combustible (El Espectador)
- Manca de combustible en la bahia es de facil evaporacion (EPA Cartagena)