Critics: PDVSA slow in oil spill response

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CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- An environmental group said Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA delayed a response to an oil spill reported at a refinery in Curacao.

State-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela confirmed an oil spill at a refinery in Curacao, a small island nation off the country's northern coast. The company said it's been working to contain the incident for several days, reports Venezuelan newspaper El Universal.

The newspaper didn't indicate the severity of the incident, though environmental groups in the country said the oil company was lax in its response. The spill was discovered by Curacao authorities Aug. 17.

Clean Environment on Curacao Chairman Peter van Leeuwen said the island doesn't have an environmental department to deal with such events and PDVSA hasn't provided any guidelines in terms of a spill response, the newspaper adds.

This week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denied allegations that safety issues were ignored prior to a recent explosion at the Amuay refinery, the largest in the country.

The accident was one of the deadliest in the industry, leaving more than 40 people dead, and forced the shutdown of a facility capable of processing 645,000 barrels of oil per day.