Mexican state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) reported the presence of hydrocarbons in the area of the Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas, Tabasco, where federal authorities are conducting a containment and cleanup operation this Sunday. According to the company's statement, the operation was launched on Saturday “due to the presence of hydrocarbons detected in the vicinity of Dos Bocas, Tabasco.” The operation involves the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), and state authorities, with actions for supervision, waste collection, and environmental impact assessment. The company also noted that they have collected about 240 kilograms of waste soaked in hydrocarbons by installing containment barriers to prevent the pollutant from spreading to nearby bodies of water. The incident comes days after a fire in the same area and reports of contamination in nearby water bodies, as part of a series of events that include at least three in less than a month, including a hydrocarbon discharge on the Gulf coast and a fire at the Olmeca refinery. In early March, authorities detected hydrocarbon stains on the beaches of Veracruz and Tabasco, which activated monitoring, containment, and cleanup operations, although no leaks were identified in nearby facilities. Days later, on March 17, a fire outside the refinery left five people dead and is currently being investigated by the Attorney General's Office (FGR).
