Web of lies – Gulf of Paria Blowout
Date: June 18th, 2018
Dear Editor/Newsroom,
Contrary to statements made by our Government that they have initiated an emergency response to the unceasing gas/oil blowout disaster and that there are safety procedures in place to protect human life and the environment/fishery, today, 10th July 2018, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) with a 7member team, visited the disaster site and observed
- No Coast Guard vessels patrolling the 5mile radius designated danger zone
- No booms in place to contain the hydrocarbon discharge on the sea surface
- No skimmers to collect the hydrocarbon discharge
- Vessels including industrial shrimp trawlers, a gas tanker and even the water taxi continue to traverse uninterrupted and dangerously close to the erupting well and within the 5 mile danger zone.
Why hasn’t the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) been initiated?
The volume of discharge has not yet been disclosed to the public since the blow out began 8 days ago (on 2nd July 2018).
Is the well leaking on the seabed?
Up till now, the Minister of Energy and the EMA Chairman have not conducted chemical analysis of the hydrocarbon discharge to determine the danger/impact to the food chain/fishery.
What is the human health risk if this gaseous hydrocarbon is inhaled by nearby fisherfolk, or onshore communities that are within the 5mile radius danger zone? Is there any danger of consuming fish or shrimp currently being caught in this 5mile radius danger zone?
No estimates have been given as to as how long it will take to contain this uninterrupted disaster?
After 8 days, has the Ministry of the Energy even found the “Well File” which contains the blue print of all the operations ever performed on this well and without which it will be extremely difficult to contain?
Were the Ministry of Energy “Guidelines” followed when this well was capped and decommissioned? If not, why not? Unless the file can be found, there can be accountability or prosecution.
How many other decommissioned, abandoned and/or orphaned wells exist and can the Minister locate these “Well Files” in the event of other inevitable ruptures?
FFOS call on the Right Honourable Prime Minster, Dr. Keith Rowley, to intervene on this ongoing in abated disaster