More than four months after one of the biggest oil spills ever in Argentine waters, local authorities and a private consultant say serious contamination continues on the coastline in Buenos Aires Province. The accident occurred Jan. 15, when the Shell tanker Estrella Pampeana collided with the Primus, a vessel owned by the German shipping company Schiffahrts-Gesellschaft, in a shipping channel at the mouth of the River Plate, about 55 miles (90 kms) from Buenos Aires. The collision punched a hole in the tanker’s side, releasing 30,000 barrels of crude and creating a slick which Shell says affected eight miles (15 kms) of the Buenos Aires Province coastline, but which provincial authorities estimate to have been significantly larger. Shell denies responsibilty for the spill, claiming... [Log in to read more]
