The Tribune

A BEC official on Crooked Island has estimated that some 10,000 gallons of fuel may have spilled when Hurricane Joaquin dislodged two 25,000-gallon tanks as it churned through the island.

However, David Daxon, reiterating comments by outgoing Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Executive Chairman Leslie Miller, said he did not think the leak affected the island’s groundwater supply.

“We had some leakage, I can estimate that it’s over 10,000 gallons. If you walk in the area you wouldn’t see or smell any of the diesel for the amount that was lost,” Mr Daxon said.

Last week, Mr Miller said: “There was some leakage during the hurricane, but we disconnected those (tanks) and we already scraped out the fuel. The amount that leaked depends on really the amount of the tanks, but because we only went there to check, I don’t think an analysis has been done on that yet. They said it was little fuel in the tanks.”

Mr Miller added: “But I don’t think BEC would play a big role in contamination if there is any there.”

Mr Daxon, speaking to The Tribune during a tour of Crooked Island last week, said he did not expect full power to be restored to the devastated island until January 2016, at the earliest.

“We received some poles, but in terms of work beginning to restore the power, nothing is happening with that yet,” he said last week.

Meanwhile, more than three weeks after the passage of Hurricane Joaquin, flooding throughout Crooked Island remains a big issue.

Inland flooding has caused a major transportation problem for persons on the island, creating difficulty reaching various settlements.

Last week, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Sub-Lieutenant Sean Evans said the agency is “anxious” to help relieve the flooding.

“I spoke to a Mr Knowles who says he possesses a 600-foot pipeline and a heavy duty industrial pump they could use to pump over the ridge, whereas they pump into another area for persons to pass freely. This was accepted as a temporary solution or as an immediate solution I would say,” Lt Evans said.

“More options have been discussed.”