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Environment Minister says every effort being made to protect livelihood of residents in area affected by oil slick

Tue, Aug 8th 2023, 11:06 AM
Environment Health

Minister with responsibility for the Environment and Natural Resources and the acting Minister for Transport and Housing, Vaughn Miller says every effort is being made to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents in the immediate communities where an oil slick was reported two days ago, namely residents in Pinder’s Point, North Bahamia, Hunters and Grand Bahama in general.

“The government of The Bahamas is acutely aware of the impact of these types of incidents on the environment and on the lives of our people, and the preservation of the environment remains a priority for the Davis Administration,” Minister Miller said during a press briefing at the Ministry for Grand Bahama on Thursday, August 3, 2023.

The press briefing came two days after a report of oil in the waters near Buckeye Bahamas Hub in Pinder’s Point was made.  Attending the press briefing along with Minister Miller was Senator Michael Halkitis, Minister with responsibility for Economic Affairs and the Acting Minister for Grand Bahama, who represented Minister Ginger Moxey (Minister for Grand Bahama), who was off island.

Minister Miller noted that the meeting was to apprise the general public, through the media, of their findings thus far as it pertains to the investigation of the spill in Pinder’s Point. Minister Miller noted that reports suggest that at approximately 5:54 a.m. on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Buckeye Bahamas Hub, the terminal began flushing operations to facilitate the transfer of products between two tanks.

The transfer was to allow the first tank to receive a new product via the outer jetty. Minister Miller reported that unrelated to that transfer, two vessels were at the jetty conducting a non-related exercise to the transfer.

“Within minutes of the transfer commencing, the product fuel from loading arm A2, which was inactive, and in the stored position at the time of the incident, began spraying out,” Minister Miller told the media.

“The Government of the Bahamas is advised that this resulted in approximately five to ten barrels of product fuel spraying out in the mist. We are further advised that it is estimated that between two and three barrels of product reached the water.

“Due to the fuel entering the water, an oil sheen was observed. We are advised that the oil sheen began migrating westward and out to sea. The Government was informed that actions taken by the operators of the facility included the immediate suspension of the line flushing operations and the commencement of the containment and recovery efforts.”

According to Minister Miller, once the incident was reported, the Ministry of Transport and Housing immediately activated the National Oil Spill Advisory committee. He added that the Ministry of Transport and Housing, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Grand Bahama are working collaboratively to investigate this incident.

The lead agencies for this investigation are the Port Department, The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection and the Department of Environmental Health Services. Representatives from all of those agencies are presently in Grand Bahama, on the ground.

“Already, the team has conducted aerial surveillance of the area, met with senior management of the Buckeye Bahamas Hub and completed a site visit via boat, where the sheen on the water was indeed confirmed. The investigation remains active and on-going.

“For the benefit of members of the public and in the interest of full disclosure, we wish to clearly note that the operators of the buckeye Bahamas Hub are cooperating with the investigating agencies. Further updates will be provided by members of the public as this investigation progresses.”

According to Arana Pyfrom, Deputy Director in the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, based on their investigation thus far, it was determined that the oil slick took place approximately three quarters of a mile from land. He admitted that immediate action by Buckeye resulted in good containment in the jetty area.

Anthony Ryan, Public Analysts in the Department of Environmental Health Services says there is some good news amid the situation. That good news lies in the fact that nature is helping to take care of the spill.

“It is moving out to sea,” he said. “In some areas there is sheen on the water surface. My advice is that if you see this stay out of the water for now, to allow the sheen to flush out. Wave action serves as a natural dispersion when you have sheen on the water.  It goes through a dissolve phase and the sun will also help to get rid of it.

“When you have a spill like this, out to sea and spread out wide, its very difficult to try and clean it all up at once. The company is doing a very good job, because what they’re doing is using d-oil to try and break it up. The combination of using a d-oil, the activities of nature, wave action and the sun, we expect a quick resolution to the sheen that’s on the water.

“Remember, this is not heavy oil sitting on the water. This is a sheen on the surface of the water that will dissipate.”

Asked if the company will be forced to pay for the spill, Minister Vaughn Miller said that once the investigation is done and the company is found to be in the wrong, the company will pay.

“In the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, once all our findings have been submitted and the Department makes the decision and submits its recommendations to the office of the Attorney General, then, based on that we will determine what we will do.

“But we have always operated under the principle that the polluter pays. And depending on the extent of it will determine how much the polluter pays. We just have to enforce it.”  

Minister with responsibility for the Environment and Natural Resources and the acting Minister for Transport and Housing, Vaughn Miller says every effort is being made to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents in the immediate communities where an oil slick was reported two days ago, namely residents in Pinder’s Point, North Bahamia, Hunters and Grand Bahama in general.
“The government of The Bahamas is acutely aware of the impact of these types of incidents on the environment and on the lives of our people, and the preservation of the environment remains a priority for the Davis Administration,” Minister Miller said during a press briefing at the Ministry for Grand Bahama on Thursday, August 3, 2023.
The press briefing came two days after a report of oil in the waters near Buckeye Bahamas Hub in Pinder’s Point was made.  Attending the press briefing along with Minister Miller was Senator Michael Halkitis, Minister with responsibility for Economic Affairs and the Acting Minister for Grand Bahama, who represented Minister Ginger Moxey (Minister for Grand Bahama), who was off island.
Minister Miller noted that the meeting was to apprise the general public, through the media, of their findings thus far as it pertains to the investigation of the spill in Pinder’s Point. Minister Miller noted that reports suggest that at approximately 5:54 a.m. on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Buckeye Bahamas Hub, the terminal began flushing operations to facilitate the transfer of products between two tanks.
 
The transfer was to allow the first tank to receive a new product via the outer jetty. Minister Miller reported that unrelated to that transfer, two vessels were at the jetty conducting a non-related exercise to the transfer.
“Within minutes of the transfer commencing, the product fuel from loading arm A2, which was inactive, and in the stored position at the time of the incident, began spraying out,” Minister Miller told the media.
 
“The Government of the Bahamas is advised that this resulted in approximately five to ten barrels of product fuel spraying out in the mist. We are further advised that it is estimated that between two and three barrels of product reached the water.
“Due to the fuel entering the water, an oil sheen was observed. We are advised that the oil sheen began migrating westward and out to sea. The Government was informed that actions taken by the operators of the facility included the immediate suspension of the line flushing operations and the commencement of the containment and recovery efforts.”
According to Minister Miller, once the incident was reported, the Ministry of Transport and Housing immediately activated the National Oil Spill Advisory committee. He added that the Ministry of Transport and Housing, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Grand Bahama are working collaboratively to investigate this incident.
The lead agencies for this investigation are the Port Department, The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection and the Department of Environmental Health Services. Representatives from all of those agencies are presently in Grand Bahama, on the ground.
 
“Already, the team has conducted aerial surveillance of the area, met with senior management of the Buckeye Bahamas Hub and completed a site visit via boat, where the sheen on the water was indeed confirmed. The investigation remains active and on-going.
 
“For the benefit of members of the public and in the interest of full disclosure, we wish to clearly note that the operators of the buckeye Bahamas Hub are cooperating with the investigating agencies. Further updates will be provided by members of the public as this investigation progresses.”
According to Arana Pyfrom, Deputy Director in the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, based on their investigation thus far, it was determined that the oil slick took place approximately three quarters of a mile from land. He admitted that immediate action by Buckeye resulted in good containment in the jetty area.
Anthony Ryan, Public Analysts in the Department of Environmental Health Services says there is some good news amid the situation. That good news lies in the fact that nature is helping to take care of the spill.
 
“It is moving out to sea,” he said. “In some areas there is sheen on the water surface. My advice is that if you see this stay out of the water for now, to allow the sheen to flush out. Wave action serves as a natural dispersion when you have sheen on the water.  It goes through a dissolve phase and the sun will also help to get rid of it.
“When you have a spill like this, out to sea and spread out wide, its very difficult to try and clean it all up at once. The company is doing a very good job, because what they’re doing is using d-oil to try and break it up. The combination of using a d-oil, the activities of nature, wave action and the sun, we expect a quick resolution to the sheen that’s on the water.
“Remember, this is not heavy oil sitting on the water. This is a sheen on the surface of the water that will dissipate.”
Asked if the company will be forced to pay for the spill, Minister Vaughn Miller said that once the investigation is done and the company is found to be in the wrong, the company will pay.
“In the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, once all our findings have been submitted and the Department makes the decision and submits its recommendations to the office of the Attorney General, then, based on that we will determine what we will do.
“But we have always operated under the principle that the polluter pays. And depending on the extent of it will determine how much the polluter pays. We just have to enforce it.”  
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