The thermal energy company San Lorenzo Light and Power (Lufussa), which operates in the southern Honduran city of the same name, will have to pay 32,000 dollars in fines for the damages resulting from a fuel spill in July 2009. Environment Minister Rigoberto Cuéllar told Tierramérica that even though the spill “did not cause major damage to the ecosystem, it was the responsibility of the company, and according to environmental law it must pay a fine.” The spill from a Lufussa oil pipeline occurred in the village of La Caúcara and reached the mangrove area in the Gulf of Fonseca. A team of experts inspected the site and determined there was negligence on the part of the company because it was slow to react to stop the spill.

The Gulf of Fonseca is an important marine coastal resource in southern Honduras, and shares its waters with El Salvador and Nicaragua.