Cetesb monitors oil spill in São Sebastião – 01/10/2024 – Environment

Cetesb (Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo) monitors an oil leak at the Transpetro terminal, a subsidiary of Petrobras, in São Sebastião, on the north coast. According to the agency, the volume leaked was small and the possibility of affecting beaches is remote.

The leak occurred on Tuesday afternoon (9), during a transshipment operation between ships at the terminal. According to Cetesb, part of the oil was contained between the two vessels, but a portion ended up being dragged by the tide into the middle of the navigation channel.

“Upon guidance from Cetesb, Petrobrás/Transpetro installed containment barriers around the ships and eight boats worked on the beating and mechanical dispersion operations of the stain present in the channel”, informed the environmental agency.

Until this Wednesday morning (10), he continued, the oil had not reached any beach in the region and was heading towards the high seas. “Cetesb will continue to monitor the situation, but the possibility of this iridescence harming the bathing ability of the beaches is still remote,” he stated.

In a note sent to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Transpetro stated that the transfer of oil between the two vessels was interrupted immediately after the problem was detected. Emergency response teams were called and contained the leak, the company continued.

Cetesb stated that it will carry out this fourth assessment of the accident, the emergency actions and the measures taken by the terminal’s representatives to define the appropriate administrative measures.

The São Sebastião terminal is the largest oil and fuel handling terminal in the country, responsible for supplying raw materials to the refineries in São Paulo. In 2013, a 3,500-liter spill of marine fuel at the terminal affected several beaches in the region.

At the time, Transpetro concluded that the accident was caused by human error by an employee, who had left a valve open on a mooring pier. The company was fined R$10 million by Cetesb.

In the note sent to Sheet this Tuesday, Transpetro says that it “reaffirms its commitment to the regions where it operates, with respect for safety, the environment and people”.