LatinNews Daily - 26 March 2018

Colombia: Colombia’s prosecutor general’s office has announced that it has opened an investigation into the state-owned oil firm, Ecopetrol, the environment ministry (Minambiente), and the national environmental licensing agency (Anla) over the major oil spill registered on 12 March in the north-eastern department of Santander. A statement from the prosecutor general’s office said that the aim of the investigation is to determine whether any of the government entities have any questions to answer over the spill registered at the La Lizama oil field and the environmental emergency it has produced. This after authorities in Santander reported that the spill (calculated to have dumped some 600 barrels of oil) has contaminated the local Sogamoso River, killing thousands of animals and leaving hundreds of people in the city of Barrancabermeja without any drinking water. The prosecutor general’s office has also ordered the suspension of oil exploration and exploitation efforts in the area until the environmental emergency is resolved.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 156 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial