La
Brea oil spill baffles EMA officials
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
01 06 08
The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) said
they responded to calls made to their office yesterday
by residents about the spill which had effected
Sobo Beach and Pt Sable near the Sobo Jetty.
Kirk
Jean-Baptiste, corporate communications assistant
of the EMA, said, "Petrotrin's Trinmar began
clean-up operations the same day but could not
give me any answers about how this incident occurred."
He said when he went on site that more than 1,000
metres of shoreline were affected but his main
concern was getting the beach cleaned up as soon
as possible.
Baptiste said he saw oil about two centimetres
into the sand and on the boats of fishermen and
around the shoreline but no one had come forward
to say they were affected.
Officials of State-owned energy company Petrotrin
were on site with excavators gathered up the sand
containing oil that will be cleaned before it can
be distributed back to the beach.
Baptiste
added, "Plant and animal life seem
to be okay and the clean-up should take about five
days to sort out."
Harri Struct Company Limited assisted Petrotrin
in the clean up operations.
Petrotrin
said in a statement: "It is yet
to be confirmed whether the material is crude oil
or another viscous substance."
Under the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan
of Trinidad and Tobago, Petrotrin is responsible
for the La Brea area in the event of an oil spill
and must offer assistance and engage in all clean-up
activities.
Story
by Kimoy
Leon Sing from
Trinidad Express, South
Bureau
Trinidad
Express
Saturday,
January 5th 2008
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