Brazil: Hefty fine for oil spill

The Brazilian state oil company, Petrobras, has been fined seventy-five million dollars following last week's oil spill in a nature reserve in the southern state of Parana.

The diesel caused a slick twelve kilometres long, threatening an ancient forest reserve and killing large numbers of fish.

It's the latest in a series of oil spills by Petrobras.

Officials say the normal fine for such a spill was tripled, due to the company's repeated offences and given the risk of environmental damage. A clean-up operation is under way.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service