Polipetrol Fuel-Oil Plant in Southeastern Argentina Resumes Operation after Closure Caused by Environmental Issues

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On June 12, the government of Mendoza province in southeastern Argentina authorized the Polipetrol processing plant, located in Lujan de Cuyo's Provincial Industrial Park, to resume operation 20 days after its closure. The facility, which is located near Repsol YPF's (NYSE:REP) (Madrid, Spain) 107,000 barrel-per-day Lujan de Cuyo Refinery, is operated by Polipetrol S.A. (Lujan de Cuyo) and develops industrial fuel oil used by local industries, including canning companies, milk-product factories and local power stations. One of the main thermoelectric power plants supplied by Polipetrol is the Centrales Termicas Mendoza plant in Mendoza, a major city in the Cuyo region.

On May 24, authorities from Mendoza's Provincial Secretary of Environment closed the plant for 30 days and imposed a $6,600 fine on Polipetrol for the non-fulfillment of national and provincial environmental laws. Oil spills, the mishandling of toxic waste and effluent contamination were indicated by environmentalists who opposed the facility to be reopened unless the problems were fixed. The plant was given one year to correct the violations, actions that Polipetrol claims had already been in its execution process before the plant was shut down. It has taken Polipetrol about 15 days to resume a normal rate of production. At present, Polipetrol's output is necessary to aid local industries that resort to fuel-oil furnaces in order to continue producing at a time when the country is undergoing an energy crisis and there is not enough gas or power.

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