Monday, April 27, 2015
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday said as a result of the Christie administration’s dereliction of duty in handling “the worst crisis in recent times” it is now impossible to retroactively determine Bahamians’ total exposure to chemicals emitted from the 2012 Rubis gasoline leak in Marathon.
His party demanded that the government not only create a multi-ministry task force to formulate a proper response to the gas leak, but immediately begin public health screening and testing of residents.
Dr Minnis pointed to the long-term health effects that could plague residents, which include damage to female reproductive organs and the weakening of the immune system.
The former health minister, under the previous Ingraham administration, said the government’s response to this issue has revealed a lack of coordination between Cabinet ministers.
Dr Minnis said it appears that they failed to communicate and are now blaming each other for the situation.
As a result, he demanded that Minister of Environment Kenred Dorsett, Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson apologise to each Marathon resident and resign forthwith.
Dr Minnis said the fuel leak could have put thousands of people at risk of exposure to toxic substances in gasoline, such as benzene, xylene and toluene.
“Benzene can pass from a mother’s blood to her unborn child and affect children even before they are born. The reported exposure created a public health crisis in Marathon. When did the Ministry of Health become aware of the crisis and why were none of the protocols activated? The minister of health has yet to address the public and residents on this health crisis.”
He said the FNM wants the government to immediately begin the communication programme recommended in the independent report on the fuel leak to educate residents on health risks; provide free legal assistance to residents who wish to commence legal action; immediately review present legislation and make necessary amendments to ensure that similar spills are prevented and commence the examination of all service stations, oil, chemical storage facilities in the Bahamas to determine if water, soil, or, air has been contaminated by dangerous chemicals.
The FNM also wants the appointment of an independent commission to publicly examine the issues surrounding the gasoline spill. According to the BEST Commission, the fuel release of 12,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline was observed in late December 2012 by operator Fiorente Management, and reported to Rubis on January 19, 2013.
Two weeks ago, the government released a 2014 independent report prepared by Black and Veach International, who found that area residents were possibly exposed to harmful chemicals, including benzene.
Rubis Bahamas is also in the middle of a legal battle with Cable Bahamas. The company has a building adjacent to the gas station.
Cable Bahamas is suing Rubis and Fiorente Management for up to $15m in damages, alleging that their “negligence” resulted in its property, mainly its customer service building, being contaminated by the 2012 leak.
Rubis and Fiorente Management are both resisting Cable Bahamas’ efforts to obtain a summary judgment against them, and have blamed each other for the massive gasoline leak that sparked the initial claim.
A Marathon family has also filed suit against Rubis Bahamas.
Comments
TalRussell says...
Comrade leader Minnis diagnosed likes he and his red party's colleagues are collectively suffering from a fatal dose of too damn many "PLP Scandals Fatigue Claps," cuz no matter how frequently a PLP scandal this PLP PM and his cabinet colleagues are handing over to the red party's leadership, the most opposition them seem to muster is, the PM needs to apologize or at least appoint another do nothing committee to investigate. Even when Speaker Major, risks his job to winks across the House of Assembly's isle in the direction of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition MP's, all they can do is muster enough courage to once again ask the PLP government, to either apologize. or to appoint another useless committee to conduct further reviews. Can Minnis, or any red MP, point to just a single PLP scandal, that they have followed through with, from beginning to conclusion? I didn’t think so. My pen and paper in hand, demanding da Queen please tell her Bahamalander subjects, why she hasn't revoked Her Loyal Opposition status away from the red shirts party? Mailing off to Buckingham Palace, as song as I go buy myself a stamp da Queen's picture on it.
Posted 27 April 2015, 1:13 p.m. Suggest removal
Tommy77 says...
Well said.<img src="http://s04.flagcounter.com/mini/kfoW/bg…" style="display:none"><img src="http://s05.flagcounter.com/mini/WUu/bg_…" style="display:none">
Posted 27 April 2015, 5:51 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Persons who use private wells have always been urged to have their wells tested regularly. And advised to treat their wells. At least if they were testing they would have gotten an earlier warning about the fuel contamination and would have been less exposed to it.
Posted 27 April 2015, 3:08 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Seriously? How often should you test your well? Every minute? I'm assuming any reasonable person who was testing a well did so monthly. What happens on the days in between? Let's assume further that reasonably thinking people moved to city water, did anyone tell them they should be testing their soil as well? And how often should they do that? Every minute? If you had a relative die of cancer you would not be walking to their grave asking them why didn't they think to test their soil. And what about the air quality? Who knows where that gas dissipated to and how far it went, it is UNKNOWABLE. Also who is to say that the contamination didn't reach the water table? I for one don't trust a government who HID this report fir ONE YEAR to tell me the whole truth.
Does Ministers Gomez, Fitzgerald and Dorset know how many people within a mile radius of Rubis have died of cancer in the past three years?
Posted 27 April 2015, 6:12 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Im kinda missing your point, every bit of it. We are talking about a situation of leaking oil that some says started back in 1999. This is 2015. If anyone was testing their well even once a year they would have detected it was contaminated with fuel at least 5 years before the clean up and even as much as 10 years ago. So your suggestion that they be testing the soil is moot. And was there any studies done to determine that there is a higher incidence of cancer in the affected area than in the general population of New Providence? Furthermore yes the gas station leak is a serious situation and the persons affected should be compensated. But we have an even more deadly situation in this country, that is probably leading to more cancer and more deaths. How many times have you walked into homes and you could smell the propane gas, even before you enter the door? And because of the crime element because many homes are air conditioned they are air tight. Persons sleep night after night breathing high concentrates of propane gas. And no one can tell me this is healthy and Ican guarantee that if studies are done this (propane) can be linked to cancer. Especially those stoves where the pilot light is on 24/7 in a house that has no ventilation.
Posted 27 April 2015, 11:29 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
This problem like BEC. Crime and the eternally burning dump fire has crossed party lines for three or four consecutive governments. Ain't no use pointing fingers now
Posted 27 April 2015, 3:19 p.m. Suggest removal
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