Heritage denies Woodland fishermen's claims of 'destroying' riverbank

WOODLAND fishermen are claiming workers from Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd are "cutting down the riverbank" at the Godineau River to create an "access road" for oil spill clean-up efforts to continue. But the company says this is not so.

Last Wednesday, the company confirmed there was a spill "emanating from a 16-inch trunk pipeline."

Newsday was given a tour of the river by fishermen on Monday.

Excavators were seen tearing down parts of the riverbank so that they were at the same level as (or very close to) that of the river.

The fishermen said this had happened within the past three days and that an access road was being built for Heritage workers to reach areas affected by the spill more easily.

One fisherman said, "So if they cutting down the riverbank so much, then what will happen to the village? Everywhere go be covered in water.

"They mash up the whole riverbank, and we warn them about that and they didn't listen."

The spill was still being cleaned up on Monday. Work began at around 6 am and finished at 1 pm.

Head of the South Oropouche Riverine Flood Action Group Edward Moodie said in a few weeks, many of the mangroves will "dry up," as there are still remnants of oil on the roots.

"When there is high tide, the salt water pushes and comes up the river. And the oil that was going down during low tide goes on the two sides of the bank, and this is what happens.

"By now most of the fiddler crabs on the mangroves are dead or dying. They are covered in oil.

"Look, it's not even fighting up," he said as he picked up one of the crabs.

There was also a dead dog in the river during Newsday's visit.

Health, safety and security and environmental manager for Hyperworks Petroleum Ltd Govindra Dookhie was also on the tour.

According to the company's website, it is a hydrocarbon exploration and production company.

"It is the operator of the Oropouche block, under an agreement with Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd," he said.

He said he was doing some "investigative work" to see if there was any possibility the spill would affect his company's operations.

"Clearly, after my visit to the river here, it's more than I thought.

"So clearly, we have some more work to be done here. The tide is high now, so we couldn't really see how far or how serious the damage would have been."

Heritage corporate communications manager Arlene Gorin-George told Newsday by phone she's not sure why the fishermen would make such a claim.

She said in all its efforts, Heritage's priority is to "minimise any possible negative effects the works will have on the environment."

She told Newsday, "If they complained about a leak and we are working towards ensuring we don't have an ongoing incident with leakage, then we have to properly assess the situation. If pipes are running underground, then there must be some form of excavation."

She also said no access road was being built.