Former Opposition Senator Heather Hunt yesterday called on the government to give a formal apology to the people of Marathon for "suppressing" a report on a Rubis gasoline spill that occurred more than two years ago.

"On behalf of all the residents affected I call on the PLP government to apologize to the people of the Marathon constituency and for the minister of the environment to give a full account to the public on the circumstances surrounding [the withholding of this report for over a year]," said Hunt, who was the Free National Movement's candidate for Marathon in the last general election.

"I also call on the member of Parliament, Jerome Fitzgerald, to explain why he has been negligent in his duties as a representative, to publicly inform his constituents of this grave danger to their health."

The spill happened in the Marathon constituency.

Fitzgerald said he is satisfied that government officials are doing what needs to be done to address the matter.

Hunt said she was "shocked and stunned" to learn that the report was not made public sooner. "The environmental report from Black & Veatch on the negative impact of leaked chemicals from a gas station adjacent to residences and businesses should have been made public immediately and steps to remediate should have all been made public," she said.

The report was completed by Black & Veatch International on February 20, 2014.

It concluded that residents who live and work near the Rubis gas station on Robinson Road were exposed to chemicals that could create health risks.

The Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission released the report on Friday, a day after area residents expressed anger that it had been withheld for so long.

Director of the BEST Commission Philip Weech indicated during a town meeting on Thursday that the agency did not release the report because it did not have the approval of the Office of the Attorney General to do so.

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