Three Sources Confirmed for Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

The Mexican government confirmed that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by three sources of contamination. This contingency progressively extended to the coasts of Veracruz, Tabasco, and Tamaulipas, forcing the response to be escalated to a national level. Admiral Raymundo Morales Ángeles stated at a press conference that the first source is a vessel that was anchored in Coatzacoalcos; the second is natural seepage from oil deposits located five miles from the Port of Coatzacoalcos; and the third is from natural seepages located 60 miles from Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, in the Cantarell field. The admiral noted that according to satellite images, at least 13 vessels were in the area when the fuel slick was detected around the anchorage. Four vessels are still in Mexican waters, and the Navy is conducting inspections to check if any of them were involved in the discharge of the contaminant. The spill, which has affected the beaches of Veracruz, has also caused problems for the fishing population. The official, Raymundo Morales Ángeles, specified at the conference that the illegal discharge was detected as early as March 3, following the first reports of slicks on the beaches of Coatzacoalcos. Meanwhile, the rest of the vessels are in international waters, and international cooperation has been requested to inspect them. Regarding the natural oil seepage in Coatzacoalcos, he indicated that it has had intermittent emissions and cannot be ruled out that it will have more. "The source that remains active and that we believe has discharged the most contaminant is the one corresponding to the natural oil seepages in the Cantarell area in Campeche Sound," he pointed out. As part of the remediation measures, the Navy and Pemex are placing marine barriers to prevent the contaminant from reaching the beaches, the admiral affirmed. Despite the initial dispersion, the authorities assured that the event is "under operational control," with progress in containment and cleanup. Currently, more than 2,200 personnel, along with aircraft, vessels, drones, and marine barriers, are participating in the mitigation efforts. In parallel, 430 tons of hydrocarbons have been collected, and 223 kilometers of coastline have been cleaned. Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) reported that it has deployed more than 700 field workers and has implemented support measures for fishing communities, including the delivery of supplies, fuel, and social programs for 15 million pesos. "It is under operational control with significant progress in cleanup and permanent monitoring," stated Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, the director general of the state-owned oil company. Alicia Bárcena, head of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), said that the Agency for Safety, Energy, and the Environment (ASEA) is filing the corresponding complaints with the Attorney General's Office (FGR) against those responsible and ruled out severe damage in protected natural areas, although they will conduct a characterization of the areas. "All of Semarnat, ASEA, Conabio, Profepa, Conam will carry out a characterization of the vulnerability of the ecosystems of the Veracruz Reef System National Park to determine the environmental damage, which is currently emphasized not to be severe," Bárcena stated. Mariana Boy, head of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), specified that they have attended to six specimens with the presence of hydrocarbons: three turtles and three birds that have already been released. Previously, the governor of Veracruz, Rocío Nahle, denied the death of turtles and dolphins due to the oil spill. Bárcena also said that both Semarnat and Profepa have held meetings with academics and civil society organizations, including Greenpeace, authors of the interactive map circulating in the press, with whom she affirmed they are "exchanging information to conduct tours with their accompaniment in the identified sites and to evaluate possible impacts on flora and fauna." The head of Semarnat added that by instruction from President Claudia Sheinbaum, the interdisciplinary group will implement a Permanent Environmental Observatory in the Gulf of Mexico to prevent future incidents. With information from Jassiel Valdelamar and Fernando Merino.