Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald does not have a record of sounding the alarm on the Marathon fuel spill in Parliament, but the record reflects the Official Opposition raised the issue more than once.

In the Senate on March 26, 2015, the attorney general objected repeatedly as Free National Movement Senator Michael Pintard raised questions about the spill, concerns about public safety and questioned the government's response to the spill.

National Review reported last week that it took the government more than a year to release a report from independent consultants who concluded that residents who live near the Rubis gas station on Robinson Road and people who work in adjacent buildings were exposed to chemicals that could create health risks.

The report was completed on February 20, 2014. It was made public on April 17, 2015. After Pintard raised the issue in the upper chamber in March, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson rose on a point of order.

"These are all very serious matters, Madam President, very, very serious matters," Maynard-Gibson said. "The member, as a gentle reminder, Madam President, is going into matters that are in contention right now before the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and I believe that our rules do not allow us to express opinions about matters in contention before the courts, Madam President.

"I support the member being able to speak generally about these environmental concerns, but I would encourage him to make his point without trespassing into the area of the Supreme Court."

Pintard then pointed to a broader point as he discussed the matter of the Marathon fuel spill.

"I was simply establishing that the Progressive Liberal Party has a pattern of behavior that is worrisome for this country," he said. "When there are very difficult, potentially dangerous situations developing, governments have an obligation to inform all stakeholders of the potential danger. That's it.

"Refusal to do so leaves that government open to accusations of being guilty of dereliction of duty, not looking out for the public interest by omission. The government is left open to accusations."

Maynard-Gibson shot back, "We have informed the public. The government has informed the public about the matter.

"We know the area that he is speaking about, Madam President. This problem has been going on for quite some time, including under the FNM administration, Madam President.

"Contrary to what the honorable member is saying, the Department of Environmental Health Services and the Ministry of Health have been on the public airwaves discussing the matter, speaking about the importance of not drinking well water and all of these kinds of things.

"The government has absolutely informed the public. These are serious matters that the government takes seriously and it has acted transparently, engaging experts in that matter also that is before the courts..."

While the government remained silent about the details in the Black & Veatch report, questions raised by the opposition in the House of Assembly on this matter went unanswered. They are still unanswered. Among those questions asked in the House by Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant last year was: "Is the minister aware of the gas spill in the Marathon constituency?"

Grant also asked: "Is the minister aware of the serious health concerns raised by the residents of the Marathon constituency as a result of a gas spill?"

The House records show that Grant asked many other questions last year in relation to the Rubis gas spill. What we got in reply to those questions was silence. In the face of all that has been said over that last week on this issue, Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez remains curiously silent.

With national debate raging over the suppressed report, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Delon Brennen told us the Ministry of Health will coordinate with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to screen Marathon residents for health problems that could have been caused by the spill more than two years ago. Why this kind of coordination is now only happening is anyone's guess.

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