A massive oil spill in Ecuador, in the northwestern Esmeraldas province, has covered multiple rivers and a key wildlife refuge in thick, black sludge, impacting more than half a million residents. A rupture appeared in a 500-kilometer (310-mile) pipeline operated by the state-owned oil company Petroecuador on Mar. 13, according to a statement by the company. Following this, crude oil flowed downstream for more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) through the Esmeraldas River and its tributaries towards the mouth at the Pacific Ocean. Witnesses described a “geyser” of oil erupting for up to seven hours, according to marine biologist Eduardo Rebolledo Monsalve of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador’s Esmeraldas campus. Monsalve has been canvasing the region to assess the damage. “The entire southern shore of the Esmeraldas River is completely saturated with oil,” Monsalve told Mongabay by email. He added that two of its tributaries, the Viche and Caple rivers, have turned anoxic, meaning they have lost all oxygen. “The spill means a temporary loss of aquatic life, with long-term damage depending on environmental conditions such as rainfall and river flow,” Monsalve said. “I estimate that in smaller rivers, the impact could last around three years if the rainy seasons are mild.” Local authorities declared an environmental emergency on Mar. 14, with the mayor of the city of Esmeraldas, Vicko Villacis, stating that the “disaster is causing unprecedented ecological damage.” Petroecuador said it is still determining the volume spilled. The pipeline transports up to 360,000 barrels of crude oil…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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