– local agencies conducting tests
Crane residents are contemplating their next move following the discovery of an oily substance seeping into their homes from underground and sparking fears about its origins.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) have since responded and the affected residents are seeking answers as investigations continue.
Yesterday, Stabroek News visited 62-year-old Basmatie Singh’s home at 6 D Crane. She was sitting in her backyard with red eyes and complained about a burning sensation on her skin.
“October 3rd, around 5:30, I was cleaning and saw this white spot. It was in multiple places,” she recounted. “I moved my furniture and noticed something coming through the tile. I cleaned it off, but it kept coming back. The next day, I called the EPA, but they didn’t answer, so I contacted the Geology and Mines Commission. Someone came that Friday afternoon and took a swab.”
Word quickly spread, prompting the EPA to get involved. Singh stated that when they arrived, officials asked if she had any construction or industrial activities ongoing in the area. “I told them no, but ExxonMobil is just a stone’s throw away,” she said.
The GGMC and the EPA conducted tests the following day and confirmed that the liquid was an “oil substance.” Singh recalled, “They used equipment to test it, and when the blue light came on, they said it had something to do with oil. A guy from Exxon even rubbed it in his hand and said it was oil, but they couldn’t say where it was coming from.”
Since discovering the substance, Singh’s life has been upended. She spends most of her day in the backyard and only goes inside the house at night. “In the morning, when you come downstairs, your face starts burning, your eyes sting, and your skin feels on fire,” she explained. “We’re not cooking inside anymore, and all our things are outside. We mop the area about five times a day and sleep with onions in water nearby to cope.”
During the EPA’s most recent visit, on Friday last, she said, it was revealed that there are high levels of sulphur dioxide in the area. Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas that can cause bronchitis and irritate the throat, nose, and lungs.
“The EPA scanned the area and said it’s high in sulphur dioxide, but they didn’t take a sample of the substance itself,” Singh said. “They took a new tile for testing, and the GGMC took a tile from where the seepage was occurring. We haven’t heard back anything from the EPA since.”
Nearby resident Nandanie Singh, 30, reported finding small holes in her kitchen tiles. “When I saw the holes, I thought it might be nothing, but then it kept getting worse,” she said. “I contacted the EPA, and when they tested, they said it wasn’t sulphur dioxide and wasn’t anything to be afraid of. But how can something from a mat or dust drill holes in tiles? I have a one-year-old baby, and I’m not cooking in the kitchen. I just want to know what it is and how to protect my family”.
Both families have expressed concern about the proximity of ExxonMobil’s drilling operations and the construction of the gas-to-shore project nearby.
In response to the growing anxiety, the EPA issued a statement yesterday urging the residents, particularly those in the immediate vicinity, to remain calm and exercise patience while investigations are underway. “Affected residents are advised to avoid impacted areas within their homes for their safety,” the statement read.
It added that the EPA is currently collaborating with the GGMC, GuySuCo, and the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board to identify the cause and nature of the seepage.
As investigations continue, the families hope that the authorities will soon identify the substance, determine its impacts, and provide them with guidance on how to protect themselves.
