The Tribune

DOZENS of people living near the Rubis Service Station on Robinson Road are still using wells despite ongoing fears that the ground water remains contaminated from a massive gasoline leak that has been festering since late 2012, the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association has said.

“Though the government has repeatedly insisted that residents of the area are now all safe, it has come to light that many were never switched to the public water supply as promised, with some claiming the Water and Sewerage Corporation demanded that they pay for their own conversion,” the GBHRA said in a statement yesterday.

“This is totally unacceptable. After keeping the public in the dark for two years about the spill and the associated health risks, the government has a duty to ensure that all Marathon residents are out of harm’s way. This includes providing them with safe and reliable water supply free of charge.”

The GBHRA also alleged that more than a year since the government gave the “all clear” to Marathon, some ground wells in the area remain untested.

“It seems that the government’s much publicised favourable findings were based on conveniently limited area of investigation that totally ignored the homes of any residents,” the group said.

“While this may be politically expedient for the government, it could spell disaster for the people of Marathon. Families still forced to use ground water may be at risk of exposure to extremely harmful toxins, including benzene, a well-established cause of aggressive cancer in humans. The substance can lead to a host of other serious illnesses as well, including anaemia and mutations in newborns.

“And while initial health screenings were conducted, the necessary and promised follow-ups never took place and many residents say they are still awaiting the results from the preliminary round of tests.”

The GBHRA called on the government to place every household in the general vicinity of the Rubis station on the public water supply and said all wells must be tested for contaminants immediately. The group also called on all residents to undergo a thorough and ongoing medical screening regime that properly reflects the seriousness of the danger they have faced.