translated from Spanish: PEMEX refuses to clean 4,500 sites contaminated by leaks of pipelines in Mexico

there are more than 4 thousand 500 sites contaminated by gasoline leaks or hydrocarbon pipelines of PEMEX. They are places that represent a damage to the environment and a risk to public health, so it should be cleaned, however, Pemex refuses to do so. The reason? He says that it is not their responsibility. Argues, without proving it, leaks are the product of theft and vandalism.
This was revealed by an investigation conducted by the Superior audit of the Federation (ASF) to the management making Pemex of resources allocated to the areas of environmental protection and ecological remediation, and where the attention of contaminated sites is one of the tasks fundamental.
The reality is that more than 80 percent of the points identified are still polluted, and some of them have up to 40 years of being.
Even from 2016, Petroleos Mexicanos suspended any work related to cleaning of polluted by hydrocarbon points. Add to this, in addition, the delay or non-hazardous waste removal in almost 50 centres for storage. The social implications of this, warns the ASF, can be severe.
“From may 2016, Pemex logistics did not carry out actions of remediation of soils and subsoils that were contaminated by the oil spill, nor carried out removal of hazardous waste in the workplace, so the risk of effects adverse human health, flora, fauna and the environment”, warn Auditors.
Negligence and pretexts in accordance with the report on results of the audit of the financial compliance 2017-6-90T9K-15-0494 – 2018 494 – of, Petroleos Mexicanos has a total record of 5 thousand 270 sites contaminated by leaks or spills of hydrocarbons, which accumulate a total of one thousand 37 hectares.
The ASF stresses that Pemex has the obligation to meet these sites immediately, first to minimize or restrict the dispersion of hydrocarbons, and then cleaning of soils and subsoils contaminated. In addition must be notified to the National Agency for Industrial safety and protection environment (ASEA), for the monitoring and inspection of the cleanup of sites.
But when the verification of attention to these areas, the auditors found that Pemex does not perform any work on 4 thousand 509 sites, which are equivalent to the 85.5 per cent of the total. Of them 2 thousand 238 sites are places that were contaminated from December 1978 to April 2016, while in 2 thousand 271 places contamination occurred between may 2016 and December 2017.
To question why, the State company said it is because they are places contaminated by clandestine connections in their pipelines, and it has a resolution of the Supreme Court that “excludes it the liability” attend these contaminated sites.
The audit considers that the arguments by Pemex does not hold. First because the resolution of the court wearing justification concerning a single case (in Tamaulipas), without the binding with the remaining more than 4 thousand. And secondly because the company not presented no evidence to support that, indeed, all those sites were contaminated because of vandalism or tomas clandestine.
In that context, the ASF issued a recommendation addressed to subsidiary Pemex logistics so, soon, is addressed pollution recorded in these places and notification for follow-up to the ASEA, or insist on not doing, provide documentation that prove, case by case basis, that the accident is due to a clandestine tap and has a court order exempting it from work at this point.
Not addressed such a recommendation the audit has powers to initiate administrative procedures and even penalties that apply.
In this same category, Petroleos Mexicanos said it has a register of 722 sites contaminated by leaks of hydrocarbons which are in the status of “completed” or “remediated” after having been cleaned. However the auditors found no supporting documentation, nor the approval of the National Agency for Industrial safety and protection to the environment, covering that this is real.
In response to this observation, Pemex acknowledged that “do not have all the records of such sites” by which promised that its environmental legal area will again review each of the cases.
In this context the ASF issued another recommendation to the State-owned company to review the procedures with which classifies a site contaminated as attended, and that there is certainty of this.
Dangerous wineries on the other hand the Auditors checked stores and centers in which Pemex has the obligation to store, treat and eliminate hazardous waste generated as a result of its industrial activities. And here also irregularities were found.
Input the General Law for the prevention and Integral management of wastes establishes the obligation that the centers that handle waste of risk are duly registered before the Secretariat of environment and natural resources (Semarnat) for its correct
monitoring and inspection.
But the auditors found that there were 114 centers that Pemex stored wastes that were not properly registered with the Ministry in 2017.
This can result in fines and penalties for Petroleos Mexicanos, as well as the permanent closure of these centres.
Worse still. The rule establishes that the waste stored at the workplace must be prosecuted and disposed of in one period not exceeding six months, however, in 14 of these stores were detected delays up to 23 months in the Elimination of these residues.
In addition there are other four workplaces where hazardous waste which, at the end of 2017, had already served 16 months of tenure at such sites has not had removed.
And finally the Auditors discovered that other 28 waste management centres there was no information or even to determine the antiquity that had them, while at the end of last year they had been removed.
In response to these irregularities, Pemex sent a job to the ASF dated July 31, which stated that in the case of the 14 centres where residues were removed late, had to ask for extensions to the environmental authority because cuts s such that hindered its operation. However, the company did not provide evidence that these permits were granted.
And in the case of the remaining centres where residues have not been withdrawn, the company gave no reason on this situation.
That is why the audit issued a formal recommendation to Petroleos Mexicanos, so will strengthen control of waste centres, since its mishandling is a potential threat both to the environment friendly, as well as for the population in general.
Questionable expenses in its findings the Auditors report also warned questions regarding payments for little more than a thousand 200 million pesos, which Pemex reported as part of the budget in cleaning and care of contaminated sites.
And it is that reviewing the accounts where such resources were incurred, were detected that these relate to various fields, such as for example maintenance of buildings, consulting, installation of machinery, legal services, water, between others.
In response, Pemex said that if the money has been invested in issues related to cleaning of contaminated sites, and said it would review the tabs and classification to make this clearer. The audit said that up to the submission of this report the above not had corrected.

Original source in Spanish