IMA investigating Sunday's oil spill at Pointe-a-Pierre

Despite assurances by Paria Fuel Trading that an oil leak from a 12-inch pipeline in Pointe-a-Pierre has been contained, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) announced it has launched an investigation.

In a release to the media on Monday, Paria said the source of the spill was identified, the requisite repairs were done and the line was isolated at 11.35 am on Sunday.

It said further checks on Monday confirmed there were no additional leaks and the situation was under control.

“The spill is contained, and residual clean-up is ongoing. All relevant regulatory authorities continue to be updated periodically,” the release said.

But the IMA said it is still important to determine the extent of the oil spill's effect on the marine environment.

The investigation includes officials from the IMA, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and the Environmental Management Authority.

Since the launch of a multi-agency team’s investigation on Monday, a marine survey revealed the oil spill has not affected the coastlines of the Gulf of Paria.

It reported: “The IMA collected seawater samples to determine the extent of dissolved hydrocarbons in the water column. Sample collection for oil fingerprinting analysis is ongoing to establish a link between affected areas and the suspected source. And using the training provided by the Satellite Analysis Branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration received earlier this year, the IMA is also analysing satellite information to confirm the origin of the oil spill and identify the areas affected."

The investigation continued on Tuesday to determine if there are any traces of oil in the marine areas and coastlines of the Guaracara River and Claxton Bay.

It also said, “Ground monitoring and follow-up marine surveys will continue and sampling at coastal locations at La Brea and the southwestern peninsula will also be conducted as this is historical, the common trajectory of oil spills originating in the Gulf of Paria.”

But Gary Aboud, secretary of the environmental NGO Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), was reported in the media as saying he was not comforted by the assurances and believes Paria is trying to suppress the true extent of the spill.

He told Newsday on Tuesday, “It’s difficult to give a measurement of it, but all I could say is that Paria is underestimating it by stating that it’s a 'sheen.' Our videos show clearly that Paria is deliberately or accidentally peddling misinformation.

"It’s not a sheen, it's large volumes of crude oil. We suspect it's thousands of barrels.”

FFOS programme director Lisa Premchand has also called on the IMA and the multi-agency team to do much more than investigate the oil spill.

“They investigate, but they don’t come back to the public with their findings. In the past five years, there have been no fines or penalties for those corporations responsible for those various oil spills. This event may have the same results, where no one will be held accountable.”