(Trinidad Express) WHILE oil spill clean-ups continue on Tobago’s southwestern shore, people in the Hope Beach area have called for the speedy removal of another barge that, over two weeks ago, was listing badly and is now in danger of sinking off the southern coast.
“Clean up the waters” and “enforce the laws” were among comments in areas from Crown Point to Scarborough to Bacolet last week when the Sunday Express visited Tobago in the wake of a spill of bunker fuel three weeks ago that impacted its south-western coast.
The spill came from the Gulfstream, which was found overturned in Cove Industrial and Business Park on February 7.
Up to yesterday, a large swathe of Lambeau’s shoreline remained covered in bunker fuel.
Mop-up and mitigation exercises by multiple agencies continued, with Scarborough now visibly cleared of the impact.
However, concerns were raised by residents and business owners around Hope Beach, areas of which have been cordoned off to accommodate heavy equipment as attempts are under way to rescue another barge in danger of sinking.
The Sunday Express was unable to learn the name of the barge, but understands that it was transporting aggregate when it encountered a problem.
An attempt was made to tow the vessel, which was said to have resulted in further damage, leading to the listing barge currently being kept afloat off Hope Beach.
The Sunday Express understands that further attempts will be made to rescue the vessel, which was still carrying a portion of its gravel.
No leakage of fuel has been reported. However, people in the area said they wanted to see the vessel removed for several reasons.
“We don’t want any kind of spill here,” resident Katherine Caesar said last Friday.
“We understand that these things happen and it cannot be moved just so, but the longer it stays, the more something can happen.”
People also noted that for the past two weeks, a portion of the beach has been closed off as more equipment is being brought to rescue the vessel.
“You can’t really use that part of the beach, right, because it is too much equipment and too much going on,” said the owner of a small bed and breakfast.
“For the people who walk to that beach from their homes, it is an inconvenience. But it is also a concern after what happened with the other spill.”
People said they could not get answers on who the aggregate or the vessel belonged to, but that the vessel was said to be owned by a well-known Tobago-based businessman.
‘We want better for Tobago’
In the meantime, focus has remained on cleaning up spill-impacted areas and seeking assistance to plug the leak in the Gulfstream.
A hydrocarbon substance has continued to leak from the Gulfstream, though at a lesser rate and volume, officials said last week.
According to public relations officer with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) Lieutenant Commander (retired) Kirk Jean-Baptiste, representatives of the international company T&T Salvage have begun looking into the situation.
The leak remains a tricky issue, Jean-Baptiste has said, as it cannot be welded and care has to be taken in moving the leaking vessel. The spill is being contained by booms, with extraction exercises around the clock. Lambeau continues to suffer from oil that went out to sea and was up to yesterday still being brought in by the tides.
Jean-Baptiste was speaking in Scarborough, where the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has established an all-command centre since the spill. There, multiple agencies have been coordinating the response.
The Gulfstream’s origin was a mystery for several days, until it was disclosed by the Ministry of National Security that it was being towed at one time by the tugboat the Solo Creed and became detached. Information given to national security by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard was that the vessels were at one time on the maritime radar but contact was then lost. The Solo Creed has not been found and never arrived in Guyana, its last known intended destination. The owners of the vessels are also yet to be located.
Several people in Scarborough said they “want different for Tobago”, as they hoped to see economic turnaround, including through increased tourism.
“We want better and different for Tobago,” said Signal Hill resident Ainsley Stanford:
“I think we can do a better job of securing the coastlines.”
The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government (RDLG) yesterday said it had also been called on by the ODPM for assistance in mitigating the spill and that it has “taken swift action to provide support in managing the Tobago oil spill crisis”.
“Three highly skilled Disaster Management Unit (DMU) coordinators have been selected to offer assistance to the Tobago Emergency Management Agency in overseeing operations at the Emergency Operations Centre,” the ministry stated in a release.
The release said that Patrice Durham from the Port of Spain City Corporation, Hameed Hasmath from the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and Kevin Jagassar from the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation “have been carefully chosen for their extensive expertise in disaster management and emergency response”.
“Their collective knowledge and experience will play a pivotal role in coordinating efforts to mitigate the impact of the oil spill and ensure the safety and well-being of affected communities,” the ministry said.
The period of assistance spans five days, starting from Thursday, February 22.
“During this time, the DMU coordinators will work closely with TEMA and other relevant stakeholders to implement effective response strategies and streamline communication channels to facilitate a coordinated and efficient response to the crisis,” the ministry stated.
The RDLG also extended “heartfelt gratitude to our Disaster Management Unit, as well as the Corporations’ DMUs for stepping up and lending assistance during this critical time”.
It said the deployment of these DMU coordinators underscores the ministry’s “unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all citizens, particularly in times of crisis”.
“By leveraging the expertise of these seasoned professionals, RDLG aims to provide invaluable support to the ongoing efforts to address the Tobago oil spill and minimise its impact on the environment and local communities,” the ministry said.