The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

AN independent report revealed that RUBIS Bahamas officials did not expedite testing on the private wells of Marathon homes following the 2012 underground gasoline leak at the Robinson and Old Trail Roads service station.

The Black and Veatch International (BVI) report, completed in 2014, concluded that assessments conducted by Rubis were insufficient and could not be used to determine whether residential and commercial building occupants were exposed to contamination associated with the fuel release.

The report also confirmed that elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing compound in gasoline, was found in a well in May 2013.

Although the report was completed last year, it was only released after a town meeting on Thursday, despite numerous requests from the media for the document.

BVI was contracted by the government in 2013 to ensure that the actions taken by Rubis to address the release were appropriate to protect public health and adequately remediate the environment.

The lack of communication from the government on the contentious issue drew the ire of residents at Thursday’s town meeting.

Flanked by officials from BVI, BEST Commission Director Philip Weech presented an overview of remediation efforts and related assessments, and fielded questions from residents.

It was previously reported that the gasoline leak was estimated to be around 30,000 gallons; however, at the meeting Mr Weech said variance records approximated the release of 12,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline.

During that meeting, it was revealed that Rubis’ remediation plans did not receive a “formal” certificate of approval from the Department of Environmental Health Services as required by law. The station was allowed to re-open in July 2014, according to the DEHS assistant director, because the department was satisfied with the plans.

In the BVI report, it is stated that Rubis’ remediation efforts were reviewed and approved in accordance with DEHS protocol.

The report pointed out that there were no specific environmental laws associated with contamination liability and cleanup, and that officials were guided by the DEHS’ Environmental Monitoring Risk Assessment Division draft policy document that addresses appropriate response actions to be taken in the event of a fuel release.

Responding to outcry from residents as to why the station was allowed to reopen, the DEHS official explained that industrial processes in the country would grind to a halt if every business was forced to shut down during remediation.

Marathon resident Trevor Sangster said: “It was inhumane to have someone exposed to that for that period of time, it is unconscionable. So while I’m hearing all this about protocol and who informs who and what happens next and all that, that is not important. What is important is who is in power to compel someone to do something and to do it quickly.”

According to the BEST Commission, the fuel release was observed in late December 2012 by operator Fiorente Management, and reported to Rubis on January 19, 2013. It was determined that the fuel was released from a pipe between the fuel tank and its dispenser, a pipeline that was repaired on January 21, 2013. Gas was found in an exploratory trench on January 24, and the service station was closed on February 8, 2013.

Cable Bahamas is suing Rubis and former operator Fiorente Management for up to $15 million in damages, alleging that their “negligence” resulted in its property, mainly its customer service building, being contaminated by the 2012 gasoline leak.

Rubis (Bahamas) and Fiorente Management are both resisting Cable Bahamas’ efforts to obtain a summary judgment against them, while blaming each other for the massive gasoline leak that sparked the initial claim.

In its claim, Cable Bahamas alleged that it had suffered from the “intermittent emission of gasoline fumes” from the Rubis station for five years with the first evacuation of the Cable Bahamas’ customer service building taking place on October 2, 2012.

Fiorente representatives were said to have visited Cable Bahamas on that date, and knew of the problem, but two more evacuations occurred on December 7, 2012, and December 10, 2012.

Contamination fears

Despite the product levels measured in monitoring wells in March 2013, according to the BVI report, the private wells of the Evans and Munroe families were not assessed for product or chemical contamination until May 2013.

According to the BVI report, the Munroe family began noticing gasoline odours in their water around January 10, 2013.

Among the recommendations made by BVI, an additional monitoring well should be installed on the north side of the Munroe residence, considering the elevated levels of benzene detected in well MW-44 in May 2013.

Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that are generally volatile, toxic and soluble in water. A group of compounds called BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes) can make up to 18 per cent of a standard blend.

While all the compounds are toxic, benzene is a “well-established cause of cancer in humans”, according to the World Health Organisation.

It was confirmed at the town meeting that no health assessments had been conducted on any residents in the area following the spill.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen explained that no health assessments were conducted because the Ministry of Health did not have the technical capacity to administer such tests. Dr Brennen said officials were instead monitoring the public health records from the area for any unusual reporting, and requests had been made to acquire the necessary skill sets.

However, officials said they were unaware of claims that some 14 area residents had died from cancer within the last decade.

Mr Weech said he was also unaware that residents were unable to insure their homes as a result of the gas leak.

In Rubis’ 2013 Contamination Assessment Report, the BVI report continued, it was reported that residents infrequently use private wells and only as a backup to the city water supply. However, the report contested that discussions with both residents and the BEST Commission indicated that the use of these wells for potable water was in fact routine.

“Although the calculated indoor air risks associated with the Evans residence and the convenience store are within acceptable ranges and, therefore, the occupants are not at risk, the discrepancy of laboratory reporting limits for soil gas and indoor air does not allow a determination to whether or not site-related contamination is migrating into these structures.

“Insufficient data are available to be able to assess the risk associated with the Munroe residence,” it continued.

“Considering the widespread use of private well water by the residences in the area,” the report read, “a conservative assessment of the risk associated with using this water on a daily basis in the Munroe residence for a duration between 40 and 160 days was completed. The assessment results in an unacceptable risk for multiple durations of exposure.”

The report makes a host of recommendations for additional monitoring of wells, soil gas and indoor air sampling, but it is unclear whether or not the 10 steps outlined by BVI were undertaken by Rubis.