[UPDATED] Heritage cleaning up oil spill in Point Fortin

Cleaning up after an oil leak in Point Fortin continued on Monday as workers tried to minimise the damage.

Workers from state-owned Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd, Quintana Sales and Services Ltd and Petting Zoo Serpentarium Wet and Wild Exotics were at the site when Newsday visited.

The source of the leak had not yet been identified and Heritage was trying to find the cause.

There were no reports of injuries or adverse impact to residents of the community.

The oil was spotted in drains at Point Ligoure, near the Atlantic LNG compound. Part of the road near Abattoir was blocked off to vehicular traffic.

Members of the petting zoo rescued an oil-covered plover, a type of bird that lives in mangroves.

"As soon as this (spill) happened, the organisation got the call. The group would rehabilitate the bird before releasing it," a representative told Newsday.

On Sunday, a release from Heritage said it got a report earlier in the day about a buildup of oil along a municipal drain that collects overflow from many parts of Point Fortin.

Heritage said it deployed specialised spill response teams to clean up the affected area. The clean-up team contained most of the oil using booms late Sunday.

The team also did air-quality testing and found all levels were within normal limits, the release said.

"The company is conducting ongoing surveillance to ensure that the source is confirmed, and the spill is contained," the release said.

"As a precautionary measure, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation crew has been mobilised to provide specialised response, should it be required."

Heritage said it had notified the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and all other regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Management Authority.

It said the company has been working on a 24-hour basis to ensure the spill is cleaned up promptly.

Contacted for an update on Monday afternoon, an official from Heritage said the situation remained the same as the previous day, and the company would update the media via a statement.