The Mexican government reported on March 30 that it has collected 825 tons of petroleum products during the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico due to a hydrocarbon spill registered off the Mexican coast. In a statement released by Pemex, it was informed that the Inter-institutional Group (GI) has collected, as of March 30, 785 tons of pollutants accumulated at sea and 40.6 tons accumulated on beaches in the affected areas of Tabasco, Veracruz, and Tamaulipas. Authorities added that actions for attention, containment, sanitation, and investigation are being maintained and reinforced to reduce environmental and social impacts. The federal government stated that it maintains a force of over 3,000 personnel (2,200 Navy; 700 Pemex; plus Semarnat, Profepa, Conapesca, ASEA, Conanp, and municipalities), with 47 vessels and boats, 48 vehicles, 7 aircraft, 2 aerial drones, 2 underwater drones, and 1,000 meters of containment barriers deployed for attention on the coast and at sea for the oil spill. As of this Monday, 39 beaches, one mangrove, and one estuary have been attended to due to the contamination. With technical support from the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, the monitoring of the contingency indicates that the first signs of arrival were presented on beaches in Tabasco, subsequently in southern Veracruz, and more recently, with arrival towards southern Tamaulipas. Operationally, reconnaissance and search flights are also carried out along the coastal strip and in the Sonda de Campeche; as well as maritime and land tours in areas of impact and deployment in the origin area, including actions within the Cantarell Complex. In parallel to the operational attention, the technical investigation regarding the origin of the hydrocarbon continues. Thus, of the 13 vessels that were in the area of interest in the anchorage of Coatzacoalcos before the start of the event; seven have already been reviewed (5 in Coatzacoalcos, 1 in Dos Bocas, and 1 in Tampico) while the remaining six have been bulletinized with the support of the international maritime community to carry out inspections and obtain the data. Within the regulatory framework, ASEA announced that it maintains actions of supervision, verification, and integration of investigation, with the purpose of determining the origin and, as appropriate, proceeding according to the law against whoever is responsible. Pemex identified the reactivation of natural hydrocarbon emanations off the coast of the municipality of Coatzacoalcos, for which supervision, containment, and cleanup activities were immediately activated. Likewise, Pemex and the Navy admitted that factors such as cold fronts, the increase in wave height, and winds favor the displacement of crude oil in the process of reaction (weathered) towards shallower waters and the coast, a phenomenon that occurs more frequently during the winter season. For this reason, Pemex committed to maintaining permanent surveillance in the area and continuing with coordinated actions to provide environmental attention to mitigate the effects of associated natural events. Similarly, the government recognized the legitimate concern of coastal communities about the impacts on fishing, tourism, health, and well-being. Pemex reported that it maintains support of 35 million pesos destined for fishermen, health services, and fuel supply, as well as actions for the temporary contracting of the local population for sanitation tasks and the operation of a mobile medical unit for attention in affected municipalities. Complementarily, this Inter-institutional Group maintains coordination with environmental and fishing authorities to channel community reports, prioritize sensitive sites (mangroves and estuaries), and guide preventive measures for the population in areas with intermittent re-landings. To mitigate risks and frequent doubts, the population was reiterated the following recommendations: avoid direct contact with oily or weathered material on the beach; report findings to local authorities or to the attention instances defined by the Inter-institutional Group; allow the work of the brigades and respect the cordoned-off areas, especially where barriers or machinery are deployed. They are reviewing 7 of 13 vessels; 6 more were bulletinized. To guide actions and anticipate the arrival of pollutants on the beaches, the analysis of winds and currents and the forecast of the hydrocarbon's trajectory are maintained. Likewise, Profepa said it follows up on citizen reports on the presence of hydrocarbons and, in coordination with state institutions, provides attention and channels specimens of wildlife affected by hydrocarbons. In the exercise of its attributions, ASEA already presented a criminal complaint on March 27 before the Attorney General's Office (FGR) for the possible commission of environmental crimes. The sanctions for the illicit handling of dangerous substances with damage to the environment, established in article 414 of the Federal Penal Code, could range from 1 to 9 years in prison, from 300 to 3,000 days of fine and/or the repair and compensation of the environmental damage.
