Rio Cobre stakeholders beg for mercy after further oil spills
Published:Saturday | December 16, 2023 | 12:09 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Residents and fisherfolk in Bog Walk, St Catherine, are expressing growing frustration with what appeared to be additional oil spills in the Rio Cobre on Friday morning.
Friday’s contamination, the source of which was unconfirmed up to press time, came days after a similar oil spill, which the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) linked to an old Jamaica Beverage plant now operated by Trade Winds Citrus Limited.
The Gleaner was unsuccessful in getting a comment from Peter McConnell, managing director of Trade Winds Citrus Ltd. He did not send a promised statement up to press time last night.
Dependent on the river for their livelihoods, residents and fishermen are now calling for compensation for loss of income resulting from the environmental disaster.
“The oil spill limits the catch; the fish aren’t biting, and we can’t catch any,” fisherman Andrew Feron said, noting that he uses the river to support his family.
Fishermen hopeful
He and the affected fishermen are hopeful that the responsible parties will not only take preventive measures to prevent future spills but also compensate them for lost income.
The sentiment is shared by small business operators like Sharob in Kent Village, whose business selling fried fish and crawfish has suffered a significant slowdown due to the fishermen’s inability to supply fresh catch.
Kestonard Gordon, president of Friends of the Rio Cobre, commended NEPA for its quick response in handling the initial matter even as concerns began to mount about the new spill.
He is also calling on NEPA to make more disclosures.
“I urge NEPA to disclose the source of contamination that caused the Gregory Park spill six months ago, and I am hoping that the agency will actively pursue compensation for fisherfolk and small business operators who have experienced financial losses due to these spills,” Gordon told The Gleaner.
In a press release, NEPA said that its investigation has identified the source which occurred days ago.
It said that while the old Jamaica Beverage plant has required bunding in place to contain the oil, the leak that occurred last weekend was from the defective boiler. It said it was unable to quantify the volume of heavy fuel that has escaped into the river.
The intervention, according to NEPA, involved engaging the assistance of Petrojam Limited in providing booms, absorbent pads, and substances to break down the oil as well as technical advice for the clean-up exercise.
“So far, a good portion of the oil has been removed from the environment while some has been contained in drains, but some amount of oil sheen is still visible on the water surface stretching from the boom to Bog Walk,” the agency’s release stated.
NEPA is advising resource users of the river, including fisherfolk and recreational and domestic users to be mindful of oil traces and to exercise caution.
The agency said it has served an enforcement notice on Trade Winds Limited to clean up and remediate the immediate environment of the oil spill and further enforcement, including legal action against the company, could follow.