Oil spill in Honduran waters contaminates mangroves

Mangroves contaminated with bunker waste

Environmental officials of the country (not reliable- emphasis added by me) state that  they have already taken the matter into their own hands to determine the degree of contamination in the affected area.

SAN LORENZO, VALLE, 

HONDURAS

The bunker spill is affecting the ecosystem of the region


Much of the mangrove forest in the Bay of San Lorenzo has been marked by  bunker waste that escaped from a pipe of the Lufussa Company.


The roots and leaves kept  in the water in the mangrove are impregnated with the oily liquid product of the fuel leak.


Technicians and specialists in the field have been present in the affected area to take samples of soil, water and plant to research the environmental impact  this bunker spill will have on mangroves and fish from the bay of San Lorenzo.
The manager of the Municipal Environmental Unit of  San Lorenzo, Uma Yulisa Murillo said several branches of  mangrove filled with  bunker were cut in the affected area  .
El Heraldo  visited the area in several sectors where there are  oil slicks in the water, thus showing that the waste of fuel reached the sea.


Measures
The company Lufussa placed great air bags as a barrier along the channel to avoid further spreading of the fuel.
The mayor of San Lorenzo, Alex Valdez, maintains his position that  FIFTY barrels not five barrels were spilled, since the incident  the access channel to the bay had large quantities of fuel that yesterday had been cleaned with a special equipment.
The population of San Lorenzo remains concerned knowing that the  water could be contaminated by this fuel, because that's where the water comes from to the majority.
For their part, fishermen are afraid and do not want to give their  opinion on the damage caused by the spill, since many of their relatives are working in this company.
Sabotage?
For his part, the executive director of Committee for the Defence of Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (Codeffagolf), Jorge Varela, said this is not due to any sabotage, as the company wants to put it, because what that looks at first glance is that the pipes are failing.
The defender of the flora and fauna demanded both the Ministry of Natural Resources (Serna) and the Public Ministry to investigate this problem,because of  the recidivism that has taken place in almost the same sector. "If this is not regulated and the company is demanded by State organs to check the pipeline to see in which conditions it finds itself, the harm caused by another spill may be higher," said Varela.
The knowledgeable in environmental matters said one of those  affected by  fuel pollution could be the Curumo mangrove species,which have their roots out and if contaminated with the fuel it could die.


Source: http://www.elheraldo.hn/Sintesis/Lo-ultimo/Ediciones/2010/07/23/Noticias/Manglares-contaminados-con-residuos-de-bunker