Municipality maintains fine to oil company for discharge of wastewater into the sea

Manta, MANABI

The Municipality of Manta, through the municipal police station, sanctioned the oil company Industrias Ales with a fine of 30 unified basic salaries (12,750 dollars) and to repair the damage caused by the discharge of wastewater into the sea, in front of the parish The Esteros.

The complaint was made in December of last year, when users complained about the discharge of sewage towards the Los Esteros beach.

After an investigation carried out by the municipal commissioner and technicians from the Aguas de Manta Public Company (EPAM), it was detected that the origin of the discharges was in the company.

Administrative Resolution DGCM-NLCM-017-2022 indicates that it gives 30 days for the company to pay the fine and repair the damage caused. In addition, the temporary closure of the place where wastewater is dumped was ordered.

Manta authorities seek to eliminate contamination focus on Tarqui beach

Miguel Cevallos, manager of EPAM, indicated that it is the first time that the ordinance that regulates the procedure for territorial infractions in this canton has been applied in Manta, and that the sanctioned industry must hire a company to carry out the remediation works in the pipeline where the sewage was discharged.

Within the administrative sanction, the seventh numeral indicates that in the event that the sanctioned company does not carry out the work indicated in the sanction within the stipulated period, EPAM will be the one to carry out these tasks, but that the costs that the remediation implies will be charged. by coercive means to the representatives of the oil industry.

This newspaper sought a version from the industry involved, but there was still no response.

In September 2019, the Ministry of the Environment gave this company that produces oils, soaps, among other products, the Green Point certification, as a company dedicated to eco-efficient processes in the production of its products. (I)