Quintana Roo Beaches Remain Safe from Gulf Oil Spill, Officials Say

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo’s beaches are expected to remain safe from the effects of a recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said, as the state prepares for an influx of Easter holiday tourists.

Luis Antonio Morales Ocaña, a meteorologist with Playa del Carmen’s Civil Protection, Prevention of Risks and Firefighters Department, said prevailing winds blowing from east to west are creating a natural barrier that prevents the spilled hydrocarbons from reaching the Caribbean Sea and northern parts of the state.

“For us, there’s no probability at all,” Morales Ocaña explained. “The problem is for the coast of states on the eastern slope, from Tamaulipas to Tabasco and possibly Campeche. There could be some approach to Yucatan if the expansion is very strong, but the dominant winds have remained from the east and southeast, causing the oil contamination to reach the coastal areas of those states. The same wind is making this spilled oil reach the entire coastal zone, with greater intensity.”

He clarified that if the spill had occurred a few weeks earlier when northern winter winds were dominant, there would have been serious risk for Quintana Roo.

“There certainly could have been a risk, it could have even reached Cuba or Florida,” Morales Ocaña added. “But right now there are no cold fronts reaching the Gulf of Mexico… for us there’s no problem. On the contrary, the winds will continue.”

The situation remains critical in Gulf coast states, particularly Veracruz and Tabasco, where oil slicks were reported along the coast nearly two weeks ago. A Monday report from environmental organization Greenpeace showed oil patches off the eastern coast of Yucatan state, though there have been no reports of impact on that state’s beaches.

Various federal officials have clarified that the spill did not originate from Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) infrastructure but from a private company.

Data

• 630 kilometers of coastline affected
• States impacted: Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche