Los Negros de Azua barges failed to comply with security measures

Azua.- Following the fuel spill incident on the barges located in Los Negros de Azua, the Ministry of the Environment has reported that technical investigations have found that the company operating the plant failed to comply with safety measures specified in their environmental license.

The Ministry notified the Karpowership company of these findings and has recommended sanctions for the spill that occurred on Thursday, August 31, during the transfer of fuel waste from the barge.

Additionally, the Environment Ministry has ordered the Powership Azua Electric Generation Plant to cease the transfer of fuel remains from the combustion process until they replace the hose system with non-corrosive metal pipes to prevent accidents.

The ministry confirmed that the spill included sludge, oily mixtures, and hydrocarbons. The company now has five days to respond to these findings.

The incident, which occurred on August 31, was due to a hose breaking during the sludge discharge process. The Karadeniz Powership company, responsible for the barge operations, has implemented additional measures and continues to conduct drills and training with its staff to prevent such incidents in the future. Approximately 25 liters (seven gallons) of sludge spilled into the containment barrier surrounding the barge, affecting the Los Negros beach.