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Argentina: Petrobras Must Clean Up

AFP
BUENOS AIRES
Petroleumworld.com 09 26 07

Argentine environmental authorities have partially closed a Petrobras fuel storage complex on the Riachuelo River, which reeks of sewage and chemicals as it flows past the capital's historic La Boca district.

Brazil's state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA had no immediate comment on late Monday's shutdown order.

The Riachuelo was labeled Argentina's worst environmental hotspot this month by The Blacksmith Institute, a U.S. environmental group. It has more than 3,500 polluting tanneries; oil, chemical, and metal plants; illicit sewage pipes and 42 open garbage dumps along the river, the institute said.

Argentina's newly formed Environmental Secretariat said it has sent inspectors to companies operating along the river to investigate their pollution controls, closing 50 businesses along the river in the last six months.

The environmental crackdown comes as part of a comprehensive government cleanup plan, prepared after Argentina's Supreme Court ruled in favor of residents along the river who sued complaining of pollution and a lack of safe drinking water.

Citing spills found near the Petrobras site, the environmental agency said the closure would remain in effect until corrections are made and the complex no longer "endangers the environment."

Two weeks earlier, the same agency shut down an adjacent refinery operated by Royal Dutch Shell PLC over pollution claims. Shell was allowed to reopen its refinery after presenting a cleanup plan.

AP 25 09 07

Copyright© 2007 Petroleumworld. All rights reserved.

 

 

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