Oaxaca to Gain Specialized Group to Manage PEMEX Emergencies

After yet another oil and ammonia spill in Oaxaca, the state’s governor announced that the Oaxacan government will create a specialized group to tackle hydrocarbon and chemical leaks. This would be the first group of this nature in Oaxaca even though more than 100,000 people face risks due to the crossing of pipelines at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

The creation of this group of experts was agreed upon between PEMEX and Oaxaca’s government as a response to the ammonia spill in December 2022 near the Donaji community. The spill lasted around three weeks and affected four communities. Salomón Jara Cruz, the Governor of Oaxaca, reported that after the incident, more than 1,000 people had to be evacuated. Subsequently, the Regional Group of Emergencies Attention and Management (GRAME) was convinced to expand its operations to Oaxaca. Currently, this agency operates only in Veracruz. For the expansion to happen, the Civil Protection and Integral Management Coordination of the Government of Oaxaca must summon technical boards in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to carry out studies and training.

Furthermore, Jara Cruz mentioned that to prevent future hazards, PEMEX committed to carrying out the needed internal inspection works to determine the mechanical integrity of 260km of the pipelines going from the Cosoleacaque municipality in the state of Veracruz to Salina Cruz in Oaxaca. Additionally, the NOC said it would pay for a Risk Atlas in the municipalities where the state-owned company has impact. 

PEMEX’s environmental safety practices have raised concerns. According to Juan Andrés Escobar Soto, Chemical Researcher, UNAM, the government has not provided adequate maintenance to oil pipelines and in some states like Hidalgo, the infrastructure has not been maintained adequately for 40 years. Escobar explained that some materials used for pipelines are easily degraded by components found in oil and tend to last for up to 20 years. The critical underfunding of essential midstream infrastructure has led to a lack of maintenance for pipelines, which has caused several spills and leaking problems for the oil company. Experts believe that the tightening of PEMEX's purse strings to fulfill its debt obligations and fund the expansion of the refining system has hampered its ability to repair storage facilities and pipelines in dire need of maintenance.