After Amazon Forest Fire, Another Ecological Disaster In Brazil As 42 Coastal Cities Hit By A Massive Oil Spill

Even as Brazil continues to battle the ecological devastation left behind by the massive forest fires in Amazon, the country has been hit by another one.

The Brazilian government has said that more than 100 tons of oil have been spilled along the northeastern coast since the beginning of September.

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Ricardo Salles, the Brazilian environment minister said Monday that that 42 cities have been affected by the spills.

Oil has been found on scores of beaches across Brazil’s northeast in recent weeks. State-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, said tests had shown the oil does not come from Brazil.

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Even though the full extent of the spill is yet unknown, the Brazilian government has claimed that environmental agencies had collected more than 100 tonnes of oil from the beaches.

There are also fears that the oil spill could have an impact on the ecosystem. There are already reports that at least seven sea turtles have so far washed ashore dead due to the spill. The fear is that if the spill is not controlled, it could kill more marines creatures.

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The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) stated on September 27 that fish and shellfish were not contaminated.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who had recently come under heavy international criticism for his handling of the Amazon fire continues to be defiant.?

"It could be something criminal, it could be an accidental spill, it could also be a ship that sank," Bolsonaro said. "It is complex. We have on our radar screen a country that could be the origin of the oil."