(Trinidad Guardian) Nearly a month since the Gulfstream barge ran aground off the coast of Cove spewing bunker fuel, officials have announced that the leaking has stopped.
The vessel was first spotted on February 7 after it separated from its tug, later identified as Solo Creed days before.
Currently, extensive salvage and containment efforts are in full swing, with multiple vessels and organisations—local and international—working collaboratively to control the situation.
While the salvage operations are ongoing, Tobago Emergency Management Agency director Allan Stewart is hopeful the strategy to contain and remove the Gulfstream barge would work.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Stewart said, “What we have experienced over the past 72 hours is the answer we have been looking for as I can report there is no longer any oil emitting from the vessel. The T&T Salvage team has taken control over that process of the vessel.”
Stewart said the oil has spread west of Crown Point.
He said the containment team was in the process of recovering the remaining volumes of bunker fuel on the surface of the water.
The focus is to contain the remaining fuel and salvage the barge while minimising the impact on Tobago’s coastal ecosystem.
Leading the operation is T&T Salvage in partnership with international company QT Environmental and the technical staff at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI).
The ministry in a social media post yesterday showed several vessels, including the NEC Spirit, NEC Pioneer, Altoka 7, Leadership, and the Atlantic Star, actively involved in the salvage operations off the coast of Cove.
Meanwhile, the ministry has been conducting regular overflights of the response area, with the Air Guard under the command of Lieutenant Groome. Aerial observers from QT Environmental and T&T Salvage were also onboard the Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard’s fixed-wing aircraft, the Fairchild C-26B.
This system will allow the team to detect and respond quickly to any potential spills.
As the containment and salvage efforts continue, support is also being provided by the Airport Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, and Chaguaramas Dock, among others.
They have been working to deliver critical resources and equipment to Tobago.
