Federal authorities say efforts to clean up an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico are approximately 85% complete, though officials are still trying to determine the origin of the spill.
Containment actions in the Gulf where the hydrocarbon plume was initially detected have concluded and no residue remains, officials say.
More than 90 tonnes of waste impregnated with oil have been collected from beaches in the municipality of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz: 40 tonnes from Playa Barrillas, 20 tonnes from Playa Linda and 30 tonnes from Playa Jicacal.
At the same time, roughly 1 tonne of contaminated materials has been cleared from the Laguna del Ostión in the municipality of Pajapan to the northwest.
The collected waste was transferred to temporary storage cells set up for handling and final disposal, while cleanup efforts continue apace.
Simultaneously, land tours were conducted in the Tabasco municipalities of Paraíso and Cárdenas. The collection of contaminated waste was continuing in Barra de Tupilco and Arroyo Verde, as well as along the coastline of Ejido Sinaloa, Ejido El Alacrán and Manatinero.
Beginning on March 2, residents of Veracruz and Tabasco reported seeing oil in the Gulf and tar on the beaches. State and federal authorities frantically began clean-up operations, hoping to restore the affected beaches ahead of the upcoming Easter Week holiday.
As federal authorities still do not know the source of the contamination, the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) is conducting verification tours, using satellite monitoring and analyzing ocean currents. It is also carrying out field investigations in an effort to determine the origin of the fuel and those responsible.
As a result, Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle was forced to backtrack after saying last week that the origin of the spill was an oil tanker owned by a private company that was operating off the coast of Tabasco. Earlier, Nahle suggested a natural oil seep might have been the source of the spill.
On Monday, Navy Minister Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales told Nahle that findings from the investigation were inconclusive. Once the source is detected, Semarnat and federal prosecutors will determine responsibilities and apply sanctions as indicated by environmental law. The law also requires full restoration of the environmental damage that has affected at least 39 localities and 230 kilometers of coastline.
Rocío Nahle said state authorities remain on alert and are ready to quickly address any new contamination threatening the Veracruz coastline.
With reports from La Jornada and El Economista
