Oil spill fouls Curacao shore, threatens flamingos

[Bacchus4.0]

Source: AP



KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — An extensive fuel spill has fouled a stretch of shoreline and oiled pink flamingos and other wildlife in a nature preserve in Curacao, conservationists and residents of the tiny Dutch Caribbean island said Monday.

The leader of a local environmental group asserted Monday that the spill of crude oil at Curacao's Jan Kok preserve was from at least one storage tank owned by the Isla oil refinery, the largest business and employer on the southern Caribbean island best known for its diving opportunities and colorful capital of Willemstad. The island's refinery is run by the state-owned oil company of Venezuela, only about 40 miles away.

"This is probably the biggest (environmental) disaster in Curacao," said Peter van Leeuwen of the Stichting SMOC group. "The whole area of Jan Kok is black. The birds are black. The crabs are black. The plants are black. Everything is draped in oil."

"A lot of time has gone by without any action. It's been about one week before somebody at the company has done anything at all," he said, adding that workmen are now excavating holes on Jan Kok's beach to capture the spilled oil and mix it with sand and soil in order to cart it away.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-spill-fouls-curacao-shore-threatens-flamingos-212222292.html

[xtraxritical]

1. Truly depressing. I'm so sick of energy companies and their slick bullshit advertising.

Clean coal, clean natural gas, and worse, "I'm an energy voter" from a "spokes model". Environmental groups should produce counter ads of mountain top removal and water poisoning from fracking and all the other disasters that hydrocarbons cause. They should also hammer home the obscene profits these companies make while still receiving preferential tax treatment. I'm a renewable, sustainable voter!

[MuseRider]

2. I am sick to death of reading this stuff

as I am sure you all are. Curacao is, or was, a beautiful place with some very interesting diving sites. It has been years since I have been there but all my memories of the island are clean beautiful. Dammit, this just makes me sick.

[judesedit]

3. Caused by a bunch of pathetic greedy bastards who don't even care about their own families let alone

the environment or your familiies. Stop buying gasoline as much as possible. Use the minimal amount you can. Shop all in one trip. Don't buy plastic. Research what products are made by these huge conglomerates and don't buy their poison.

[Shadowflash]

4. You think oil spills are bad? Wind spills are even worse.

Said no one, ever.