The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

EQUINOR’s clean-up work at South Riding Point in East Grand Bahama continues, with a target completion of forest cleaning early this year, according to a consultant who works closely with the multinational energy company.

“All clean-up efforts at the facility have not stopped and all appropriate regulatory oversight of such has been maintained for thorough and on schedule completion targets,” the consultant noted.

According to information provided to The Tribune, “the pine forest has shown strong regrowth in treated areas”. It was further noted that teams using manual remedial techniques to carry out treatment in impacted areas, and that of the surveyed 350.8 acres recommended for treatment, 84.6 percent have been recommended for no further treatment since September 2019.

The Tribune, however, was informed by a well-placed source with an environmental group that only an estimated 30 percent of the affected forest area was cleaned up since last March following the coronavirus pandemic shutdown.

Last July when environmentalists at Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas visited the site to conduct an assessment, they reported that work had not resumed and that thick vegetation had grown back and covered a lot of the oil that was still sitting on the ground.

During an eco-risk assessment, they collected samples for review by an expert assessor. The results of those samples are still pending.

When asked about the cleanup operation at Equinor, the consultant noted that “all cleanup efforts at South Riding Point have not stopped and all appropriate regulatory oversight of such has been maintained for thorough and on schedule completion targets.”

He stated: “Prior to the present pandemic, periodic face to face presentations and updates were made with stakeholders inclusive of environmental groups. Equinor’s commitment to transparency, the environment and wellbeing of our communities have not changed. The clean up work continues. Equinor is about productive results that continue to protect our environment,” he said.

Ground water monitoring has also been conducted by an independent consulting and engineering firm approved by Bahamas government regulators, to ensure that no impact resulting from the oil spill was present and full reports have been communicated to the regulatory agency.

It has been reported that “all sampling events are consistent and indicate no impact to the aquifer from crude oil constituents.”

The government appointed a National Oil Spill Contingency Advisory Committee to monitor the spill at Equinor. The committee, which consists of a cross-section of industry stakeholders, has made visits to assess the scope of the spill site.

The Equinor facility has a storage capacity of 6.5 million barrels of oil. In September 2019 when Hurricane Dorian made landfall in Grand Bahama, experts suspect tornadic activity propelled the oil spill. There was 1.8 million barrels of crude oil stored at the plant. Of that, 55,000 barrels were dispersed at the plant and nearby forest.

It was noted that “all free phased oil has been removed post Dorian, and that inside terminal debris removal are all on target for completion in 2021, and all cleanup efforts are reported to appropriate government regulatory agencies as required.”