What you know as oil is actually called petroleum or crude oil and may exist as a combination of liquid, gas, and sticky, tar-like substances. Waste water from oil drilling contains cadmium, arsenic, lead, mercury, zinc and copper which accumulate over time in living things. The metal pipelines which transport this oil can rupture when corrosion weakens them, which contaminates any surrounding land and water.
The effects of an oil spill on the environment depend on the type of oil. Fuel oils like diesel and gasoline are oils that evaporate quickly but are toxic and can ignite. Bunker oils, used to fuel ships, are heavier, appear black and sticky and can stay in the environment for months or even years if not removed. When oil is spilled, it affects the surrounding area in a number of ways; from the chemical toxicity to the literal smothering of wildlife. Oils that are especially heavy can completely cover animals and suffocate them, and poisonous chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. Oil spills contaminate soil and water and may cause devastating explosions and fires.
To understand why we should be better at preventing oil spills in Trinidad and Tobago, such as what occurred at Point Fortin, is that although the company 'Heritage Petroleum LTD' is new, the mistakes are old. Before pressure testing, whatever crude in the tanks needed to be pumped out, water put in and left over a period of time under supervision. If there was a leak, there should be bond walls, pits and a working pump on site to pump the spillage away. Instead, the oil and water was allowed to flood streets, rivers and industrial compounds, marooning people and endangering wildlife, endangering our environment, life and limb. If left to run through the water course as is, it threatens aquatic and terrestrial life and will pollute the ocean.
We have the following questions: 1) Were the proper risk assessments done? 2) Were the risk assessment regulations followed? 3) Can the risk assessment checklists be made public so that we can see if the appropriate measures were taken? 4) Can Heritage Petroleum explain why the appropriate failure containment was not in place? 5) Was this tank supposed to be decommissioned and if so, why was it being tested? 6) Can Heritage Petroleum make public an estimate of how much petroleum, residual or otherwise, was introduced to the surrounding areas?
Published by WEPTT · 8 June 2020
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