Once is an accident, but daily is negligence

Date: May 6th , 2019

Dear Editor/Newsroom,

There is yet another Oil spill in our Gulf of Paria food basket-. How many oil spills must we suffer before a single culprit is brought to justice? Is our Government protecting these known violators? Shouldn’t Government enforce the Law and arrest, prosecute and incarcerate the CEOs of these degrading companies?

The Oil Spill Contingency Plan requires the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) to fingerprint all vessels in our waters? Is our Government sleeping? Why has this Plan still not been made Law?

The Minerals Act is very clear. Incarceration is one of the mandatory penalties of this Law. What is the Minister of Energy doing? Why isn’t he bringing these violators to justice? Can the Minister of Planning advise us if we have one Law for CEOs and another for the average citizen?

If not, why is the EMA and the IMA failing our nation over and over?

Every day our fishermen are suffering. Just last week there was an article in the newspaper about hydrocarbon contamination in Gulf of Paria fish and the increased risk of cancer!. The PM is reminded that is is not a laughing matter; our people are real.

This is an emergency for a responsible Government. Is building highways in the forest and ports on windward “storm risk coasts” the way to develop a contracting economy or a borrowing nation? Development includes protecting human health and ensuring that all of the players follow the rules. Why should our innocents suffer while Cabinet eats imported salmon?

Where is our caring Prime Minister who visited Big Yard where an innocent child was murdered, but is silent while oil spills are also murdering cancer victims. Small petty criminals are being prosecuted daily while large billionaire energy criminals are being protected. Why is the Government not putting any energy into prosecuting the energy extraction criminals?

Will PM Rowley intervene to help save our potential cancer victims or is he only interested in shootouts?