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“Never again!”

The aftermath of the Prestige disaster off the coast of Galicia 15 years ago remains with the cost of the tragedy fixed but still no change in protocols

The sinking of the Prestige 15 years ago painted the Galician coast black in the worst environmental disaster ever seen in Spain. Now, a court has fixed the cost of the damage: €1.573 billion compensation in Spain; € 61 million for France and just €1.8 million to Galicia for recycling fuel costs. The compensation must be paid, says the Supreme Court, by the captain of the tanker, The London Steamship Owners Mutual Insurance Association and the owner of the sunken vessel, Mare Shipping INC.

According to Spanish justice, no one is to blame for the tragedy. The Supreme Court condemned the captain for an environmental crime only, but no politician has been sanctioned for the management of the disaster which shocked not only Galicia but the whole of Spain. Quite the contrary, Mariano Rajoy, who in November 2002 was Deputy PM and coordinator of crisis management and who publicly said the oil slick would never reach the coast and was simply a few leaks floating to the surface is now the country’s Prime Minister.

In reality, 77,000 tons of crude transported by the Prestige flooded the coast, reaching as far as the Basque Country. Despite the efforts of thousands of volunteers who travelled to Galicia to clean the beaches, traces are still present.

Much of the tragedy could have been averted with the necessary protocols in place and coordination regulated. Since 2002, there have been some improvements but protocols remain unchanged. Galicia, then, took to the streets with cries of “Nunca mais!” With the recent forest fires, the cry is heard in the same streets again.

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