Oistins is practically clear of all oil, says Minister of Energy Senator Lisa Cummins.
After a St James North branch meeting of the Barbados Labour Party at Gordon Greenidge Primary School Sunday night, she told the Daily Nation they were taking precautions to ensure no residue made it into the ocean.
“None of the oil that was spilt found its way into the ocean, into the marine outfall. And so, what we have done in order to protect the area and to remediate after the oil spill, we have, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Works, especially the Drainage Division, dug new manholes to be able to get into the underground drainage system,” she said.
Cummins explained that this was necessary to ensure none of the oil was washed into the sea via the storm drains. She said they were continuing to remove any remaining oily water from the soft stone structures in the drains, but added the team had further measures in place.
“Even if the rain washes it down, we have installed two new sand burrows, and we have a skimmer, which is going to sit at the top of anything that is being outpoured. So the rain will pass through and the oil will be extracted out.”
The minister praised the work of everyone involved, especially the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Unit.
As for the investigation into what caused the spill, she said it had been completed and a report submitted to management of the Barbados National Energy Co. Ltd.
“I expect to have that report formally submitted to my office and to the Oil Spill Committee, which is led by the Environmental Protection Department, to be able to have that in hand over the next week or so,” she said. (CA)
