Peruvian authorities have declared most of the coastal zone of Talara province an environmental disaster zone due to the oil spill. This was reported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the country.
"The ministry declares an environmental emergency in part of Talara province for a period of 90 days and approves an immediate and short-term plan of action," the ministry said in a statement.
The oil spill occurred at the Talara oil refinery on December 20. According to the authorities, about 10,000 square meters of water were affected. The Prosecutor's Office of Peru has started an investigation against the Petroperu oil company.
Authorities have sent experts to the beaches affected by the spill to save the affected wildlife, particularly the olive ridley, a vulnerable species.
