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HERITAGE Petroleum Company Ltd on Sunday said it was investigating reports of leaked oil and had notified a lease operator from whose oil pit the oil had come.
This statement came after environmentalist Gary Aboud, of the group Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), had earlier asked what the Government was doing about oil allegedly spotted along Trinidad's west coast at sites from Cedros to Caroni.
"FFOS has received video reports that oil has surfaced in La Brea, Fullerton and Cedros," Aboud said. "This would mean that since August 7 oil has impacted Carli Bay, Claxton Bay, Caroni, Orange Valley, Cedros, La Brea and Fullerton."
He called on the Prime Minister and Energy Minister Stuart Young to address fishermen whose livelihoods have been drowning in thick crude from the country's oil industry.
"Have there been any Cabinet discussions for fishermen compensation? Have there been discussions for a proper oil spill clean up or emergency response or rehabilitation of the Gulf of Paria ecosystem?" Aboud asked. "The PM's silence is deafening and makes us wonder, have our leaders abandoned us?"
Newsday called Environmental Management Authority (EMA) chairman Nadra Nathai-Gyan on Sunday who said normally any reports of oil spills would be sent to the EMA by the Energy Ministry but she had not received any. She asked Newsday to send her its list of questions on the issue which she would then forward to the EMA's managing director.
In a response late Sunday, the EMA said: "Further to your e-mail today and inquiries to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), information on clean-up activities and compensation are best directed to the Incident Commander of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, as well as Paria Trading Company Ltd.
"At this time, the status of the EMA’s investigation into the incident is ongoing and the EMA has noted the concerns raised by the environmental organisation, FFOS."
Also on Sunday, Newsday sent text messages to Young to ask if his ministry had received any reports of oil spills and if so was it investigating them, and to Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat as to whether his ministry had received any fisherman's claims for compensation and if so was it addressing them, but up to press time we got no response on either count.
Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd, later on Sunday in a statement, Oil in flood water at Carapal Village and Happy Valley, said they had identified the source of the problem.
The statement said Heritage had responded to reports of oil being visible in flood waters at Carapal Village, Palo Seco and Happy Valley, Erin.
"Heritage immediately dispatched a spill response team to investigate the source of the oil.
"The Heritage team determined that the source was an over-flowing oil pit operated by lease operator Jasmin Oil and Gas Ltd. The lease operator was contacted and informed of the incident."
Owing to flooding in the area, the leaked oil has impacted vegetation and properties in the vicinity of the oil pit, Heritage said.
"The operator has been unable to access the affected areas which are inaccessible due to raising flood waters. A team led by Jasmin Oil and Gas Ltd will visit the affected areas as soon as they become accessible with a view to assess the impact of the oil spill and execute clean-up operations.
"Jasmin Oil and Gas Ltd will continue to monitor the impacted areas, and conduct air quality testing throughout the period. Heritage will support the lease operator as necessary. All relevant authorities have been informed."
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