Investigation team established for bunker spill off Trinidad and Tobago

TIN news:   Petrotrin annnounced that has established a team to investigate the cause of the leak that occurred on one of its tanks on Sunday, 2017 April 23. The team includes personnel from Petrotrin’s Health Safety and Environment (HSE) and Operations Departments along with a representative from the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU).

According to the company’s statement, the spill occurred on land in the tank farm area, located on the north-western side of its operations and considerable distance away from the Guaracara River. Containment and recovery efforts are focused in the marine area of the Company’s Port operations at Pointe-a-Pierre, with no impact on the Guaracara River and neighbouring communities at this time.

The solutions and materials used for the cleaning operation are approved by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries. In order to safeguard the shorelines and neighbouring communities and as a contingency measure in the event of rainfall, additional containment booms have been deployed.

The company also noted that has undertaken precautionary measures, in order to prevent impacting the southern shorelines from the tidal changes. and, working in tandem with its clean-up and recovery efforts, it has implemented its Oiled Wildlife Management Plan. Searches for birds and other wildlife impacted by the spill are continuing and those identified are being rescued and rehabilitated in established centres in Trinidad.

Clean-up operations will continue around the clock until the situation is resolved.