The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FORMER State Minister for the Environment Phenton Neymour yesterday criticised Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett for his “failure” to address an underground fuel leak in the Marathon constituency.

He blamed Mr Dorsett for not acting “in the interest of the Bahamian people’s safety.”

Mr Neymour said Mr Dorsett has been previously “quiet on this issue when he should be taking the lead in the public domain.” He said Mr Dorsett’s failure to “disclose to the residents in particular the potential risks that exist” is a “serious failure of a minister to perform.”

He further criticised Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald for recently urging area residents to take court action against Rubis Bahamas for the leak and accused Mr Fitzgerald for opting to side with his Cabinet colleagues on the matter rather than honour his obligations to his constituents.

“Minister Dorsett has been quiet on this issue when he should be taking the lead in the public domain,” Mr Neymour said. “I am extremely concerned that the government after two years of knowing of this situation, the release, that they did not immediately hold the town meeting to advise the public of the potential risks. This I consider to be a serious failure of a minister to perform, particularly that of Minister Dorsett.

“He himself has the direct responsibility for environmental and human safety in this regard, and the first thing one should have done as the minister was to advise the general public of the potential risk and also then to take action in respect to the relative agencies. I think that the minister did not act in the interest of the Bahamian people’s safety by failing to disclose to the residents in particular the potential risks that exist.”

According to the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, the fuel release was observed in late December 2012 by former station operator Fiorente Management, and reported to Rubis in January 19, 2013.

It was previously reported that the gasoline leak was estimated to be around 30,000 gallons; however, at a town meeting last Thursday BEST Director Philip Weech said variance records approximated the release of 12,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline.

Black and Veatch International (BVI) was contracted by the government in 2013 to ensure that the actions taken by station owner Rubis Bahamas to address the release were appropriate to protect public health and adequately remediate the environment.

The report was completed February 20, 2014, but it was only released after public outcry at last week’s meeting.

The report confirmed that elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing compound in gasoline, was found in a residential well in May 2013, but ultimately 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 cancer-causing compound was also found in air samples taken by Cable Bahamas’ contractor in early 2013, according to the report.

“The mere fact that (Mr Dorsett) was able to procure the services of Black and Veatch meant that he not only was given the authority to use that funding and to address the spill, but also it meant that he would’ve had to have dealt with the Ministry of Finance,” Mr Neymour said. “And a responsible minister, whenever there is a spill, should advise the Cabinet of the Bahamas of that spill. Therefore in my view, the Cabinet of the Bahamas may be involved in covering up this issue.”

On Tuesday, Mr Fitzgerald said he has growing concern over the issues coming out of the matter, and insisted that residents take court action.

However, Mr Neymour said: “He’s two years too late. In this regard he neglected to take care of his constituents first. They are the ones who elect you to office. They are your primary responsibility. Without them you would not be in Cabinet. And so his primary responsibility is his constituency first as the MP, and he failed to do that.”

On Monday, FNM Chairman Michael Pintard called for an independent review of the government’s actions following the 2012 gasoline leak.

This week, Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen said that the Ministry of Health would coordinate with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to screen Marathon residents for health problems that could have been caused by the fuel leak.