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A public hearing in the Pesca Municipality of Boyacá for a seismic campaign by Maurel & Prom has again received strong community resistance after local leaders and environmentalists allege it would lead to a drought.

The Minister of Environment Luis Gilberto Murillo said his ministry and other authorities are preparing a report on hydrocarbons exploration in La Macarena which could affect some of the blocks in the region, although those with an environmental license should be able to still explore.

It has been over a year and four months since a Farc attack on the Transandino Pipeline spilled more than 410,000 gallons of oil into the bay of Tumaco in Nariño, and now residents accuse the government of doing little to remedy their situation. This and other environmental stories in our periodic summary.

The national government and Gran Tierra Energy (TSX:GTE) have signed a voluntary agreement to recovery bodies of water affected by oil production in the Villamarquesa village, in Putumayo. This and other environmental stories in our periodic summary.

The Ministry of Environment (MinAmbiente) said that it has formed a special committee in Putumayo which will mitigate the effect of “inadequate practices of hydrocarbons production”. The committee includes 13 mayors and local authorities and institutions.

The Regional Autonomous Corporation Corporinoquia has found itself the center of attention in Casanare involving a number of environmental issues from the Charte River, a legal dispute with Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) and a waste processing plant closure. These and other environmental stories in our periodic summary.

Is it a leak or is that oil seeping from the ground? A peculiar instance of environmental problems has occurred in Barrancabermeja in the Campo 23 village, after oil started seeping from the area. Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) responded but says it is a natural occurrence.

Caquetá congressional representative Harry González said that public order problems which have arisen following the start of hydrocarbons exploration activities show that a departmental popular referendum is necessary to see if the residents want to accept the activity.

Hocol’s plan to drill an exploration well in La Macarena in the CPO-16 block is churning up community opposition, and company representatives allege that there are activists feeding the community with bad information to increase resistance.

The last two weeks have seen a number of high profile oil spills due to attacks on pipelines, overturned tankers, flooding and damaged road infrastructure. These and other environmental stories in our periodic summary.