Law needed to prosecute oil-spill culprits

LEGISLATION is needed to prosecute entities behind oil spills, says Environmental Management Authority (EMA) managing director Hayden Romano.

He was speaking on Wednesday as EMA officials and representatives of the Planning Ministry met with officials of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at the Parliament building.

He said for the Petrotrin oil spill of 2013 the EMA was able to work with agencies and also recognised the need for an ecological risk assessment. An 18-month risk assessment has been implemented for the southwest coast (from Pointe-a-Pierre to Icacos) and was scheduled to be completed in November this year. Romano said this assessment will provide data for when other incidents occur.

"That came right out of crisis."

PAC chairman Dr Bhoe Tewarie asked if resources have been strengthened since the 2013 oil spill.

Romano said strengthening has been done by the Energy Ministry, Maritime Division and various oil companies, with the EMA acting as regulator. He explained in a Certificate of Environmental Clearance, oil companies are required to state their response if a spill occurs.

Tewarie said there have been several oil spills over the last few years and one recently (likely a reference to a spill by the Port of Spain Waterfront).

He said he was not aware of any culprit being identified or action taken against a perpetrator.

Romano told Tewarie he was correct and the lack of prosecution was due to weak legislation.

He said the Marine Pollution Act, which was likely still at the draft stage, was a good piece of legislation which needs to be debated in Parliament "as quickly as possible."

Romano said in the most recent incident it appeared the culprit will be identified and action taken though investigations were still to be completed.