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Petroleos Mexicanos, known as Pemex, said in a statement that
its crews had reacted “immediately” to stop and contain the
spill around the town of Alamo, one of the communities hit
hardest by the recent flooding.
The company did not say when the spill occurred or exactly what
spilled.
But Alamo resident Arturo de Luna said locals became aware of it
over the weekend. “Sincerely, we’re very worried,” he said.
At least 76 people died in heavy rains from Oct. 6 to 11 across
several states in central and eastern Mexico. Some three dozen
remain missing and more than 100 communities remain inaccessible
by road.
Alamo, along with Poza Rica, were the most affected communities
in northern Veracruz state. Residents in part of Poza Rica found
their homes' walls streaked with oil after waters from the
Cazones River receded, though no spill was confirmed there.
The Pantepec River crosses northern Veracruz and supplies water
for a number of communities, including the city of Tuxpan near
where the river dumps into the Gulf of Mexico.
Tuxpan Mayor Jesús Fomperoza said on Facebook on Tuesday that
Pemex, the navy, security forces and energy and environmental
agency personnel were working with local and state officials to
keep the spill from reaching municipal water systems.
He said private businesses, fishermen and others had helped to
install containment barriers.
But the spill was affecting lives along the river.
De Luna, the Alamo resident, said boat services that locals use
to move across and up and down the river were suspended, cutting
off some river communities.
Alejandra Jiménez, an activist with Foundation Chalchi, a
nongovernmental organization focused on protecting water
resources, said it was too early to determine the spill’s
environmental impact but that recovery of the ecosystem could
take years.
“The prevention phase didn’t happen, so now they have to keep it
from spreading,” she said.
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