The appearance of the product in the waters of this tributary led to the suspension of water pumping to the city of Poza Rica and forced Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) to deploy oil booms and containment booms.
The source of the hydrocarbon that reached the Cazones River remains officially unknown.
The Veracruz State Water Commission was the first to alert the public to the environmental disaster, reporting the presence of the hydrocarbon in the river and ordering the suspension of pumping operations at the Poza Rica Water System intake near the town of Corralillos.
“We urge the public to use and conserve water,” the Commission stated.
Hours later, Pemex issued a statement assuring that, due to the heavy rains in the northern region in recent hours, it was carrying out cleanup work along the banks of the Cazones River.
In addition, oil-absorbing barriers and booms were installed at the intake of the Veracruz State Water Commission in Poza Rica to contain the hydrocarbon flecks and prevent a spill into the Cazones River.
It was also noted that, with the support of specialized companies, the containment barriers installed in the El Cabellal stream were reinforced to prevent traces of hydrocarbons from reaching the Pantepec River.
However, the source of the hydrocarbon spilled into the river was not specified.
At the end of October, thousands of liters of hydrocarbons leaked from a Pemex pipeline and contaminated rivers, streams, creeks, and even agricultural areas in the Álamo and Tuxpan regions of northern Veracruz.
Although Pemex personnel deployed barriers to contain the oil spill, the hydrocarbon affected the Pantepec and Tuxpan rivers (which belong to the same hydrological basin), as well as small tributaries and streams that supply drinking water.
The spill had “very serious” environmental implications, and it also occurred in front of a vulnerable population already suffering the effects of rain, river overflows, and flooding, the environmental organization Greenpeace warned at the time.
Source: eluniversal
