The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE government’s ‘all clear’ for Marathon residents in the aftermath of the 2012 gasoline leak has provided no comfort to the embattled community, according to activists.

Justice for Marathon spokesperson Latoya Hanna said the government’s announcement angered residents at a Monday town meeting, some of whom have been unable to get testing for immobile family members and have yet to receive their own results.

She said the declaration that residents were never exposed to dangerous levels of contaminants was concerning given that at least one family was asked to do further testing – at their own cost.

“We have grave concerns with what was stated in the media yesterday (Monday),” she said, “to make a claim that all is well – all is not well in Marathon.”

“(At the town meeting) one resident confirmed that she and her family had very high levels of phenol (gasoline by-product), and her family asked to do further testing by the clinic and then were made to pay for that testing at the Princess Margaret Hospital. So how could they say all is well?”

“The family was told that high levels of phenol was present in their urine. One of the follow up tests was up to $500 because it was a chest x-ray.

She added: “We’re not convinced because we have a good cross-section that has not been tested. They had a clinic but you have persons in Marathon who were bedridden and it did not run for the full six weeks.”

The 24,000 gallon underground gasoline leak at Rubis’ Robinson and Old Trail Road service station was discovered in November 2012, and an independent report prepared by Black and Veatch International last year found that Marathon residents were “possibly exposed to harmful chemicals,” including cancer-causing benzene.

That report, however, never confirmed to what extent residents were exposed to long-term health effects.

Station owner Rubis (Bahamas), Minister of Environment Kenred Dorsett and Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald have previously maintained that the 2012 spill’s impact was contained to only five households, and that remediation had brought contamination within acceptable safety levels.

On Monday, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez presented preliminary assessments carried out by independent toxicology expert, Dr Rik van de Weerdt, who was brought in by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to assist the government with the aftermath of the fuel leak.

Dr van de Weerdt explained that preliminary findings from the health risk assessments carried out on 223 persons in or around the Marathon area concluded that at this time there were no long-term health effects detected, despite indicators that pointed to exposure to substances related to the fuel spill, such as odour and discoloration of well-water. While the results were encouraging, he said it was important to establish a complete picture of the situation, both in completing the health risk assessment and in reassuring concerned citizens.

Justice for Marathon and environmental action group Save The Bays have repeatedly expressed concerns that the public health tests being administered were not enough to determine exposure to cancer causing agents after such a lengthy delay in assessment.

Some 100 residents met at Grace Community Church on Monday night to discuss the lack of government response to letters sent out to Minister of Works Philip Davis, the Ministry of Environment, and the Department of Environmental Health Services, outlining concerns over testing and access to the public water system. Representatives from the Water and Sewerage Corporation attended the meeting, according to Ms Hanna, who said that officials did not speak to residents but provided them with pamphlets on how to connect to city water.

The group also discussed fundraising efforts to assist with the funeral costs of area resident Tabitha Farrington, who died from cancer last week.

Justice for Marathon has also launched an “app” for Android devices that will allow members to stay connected and informed, Ms Hanna said.

After the meeting, Ms Hanna reiterated residents’ concerns: “. . .How could they get to a conclusion where they say it’s safe, when you have some thousands of gallons still unaccounted for? That leaves us to wonder if the toxicologist was provided with sufficient information.”

“Residents are also frustrated that they are being made to pay for city water connection. They feel that testing and water connection should be paid by the government and Rubis.”

The government’s refusal to make the BVI report public for more than a year following its receipt of the document caused a national firestorm, with many critics ridiculing Mr Fitzgerald for his continued silence during that period despite his claims that he was not authorised to reveal any details.

STB spokesperson Paco Nunez yesterday called the government’s decision to come forward with preliminary results a desperate attempt to save its image.

“Why has the government begun to release piecemeal information at this early stage,” he said, “before they even have a report – or even a draft report for that matter? When will the public be allowed to see said report to judge the contents for themselves, and will the government then allow for a truly independent evaluation of the findings?

“This is clearly another move by the government to seek to salvage their reputation after failing the public so spectacularly for two years since the leak was first discovered. They are quick to release premature findings in a bid to save their image but the public can see through this.”

He added: “We all clearly hope these initial indications hold true and it does turn out that there is no serious risk to residents, it must be pointed out that this would mean the residents of Marathon have been extremely lucky, because it could have been far worse.

“It would be very irresponsible of the government to try and spin this into positive PR, because any good news that can be salvaged from this disaster is no thanks to them.”