By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

STATE Legal Affairs Minister Damian Gomez yesterday said much of the speculation surrounding the 2012 Rubis fuel leak in Marathon is “incorrect” as he defended voting against the formation of a select committee to look into the matter, insisting that the government took a “text book approach” to the environmental concern.

He was one several government MPs contacted by The Tribune who defended voting against the select committee.

Mr Gomez told The Tribune he was certain the Christie administration followed all of the required protocols, which included the involvement of the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) that took certain measures.

He said PAHO and the Ministry of Health’s activities, in addition to a chronology of events dating back to when the government first learned of the incident, are to be communicated in the House of Assembly by Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett “fairly soon”.

Meanwhile, Anthony Ryan, public analyst in the Environment Monitoring and Risk Assessment Division of the Ministry of the Environment, yesterday agreed that work on the leak was underway and never stopped. He said his division was continuing to work in the best interest of Bahamians.

However he declined further comment, saying he was forbidden to speak with the media and directed this newspaper to Ministry of the Environment Permanent Secretary Camille Johnson. Calls placed to her were not returned up to press time.

No votes

“(I voted no) because I am well aware of the government’s intention to make a communication from the minister of the environment setting out the chronology and details since we discovered the gas leak,” Mr Gomez explained.

“The government took a text book approach to resolving the issue. It followed protocols that had been put in place. When the public learns what has happened since this was discovered, including the activities of the Pan American Health Organisation in the affected areas, people will be less critical of this situation.

“I know enough to know that the speculation is incorrect and we have acted very responsibly and very quickly. The government did as best as any government could do in terms of what was necessary for Marathon residents.

“That remains my view and will remain the view unless I am otherwise persuaded.”

Mr Gomez was among 15 government MPs who voted “no” in the House of Assembly on Wednesday to the appointment of a select committee to look into the fuel leak. Seven MPs voted in favour of the investigative body, including PLP Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells and the opposition members present.

PLP Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins was the driving force behind moving the motion for a select committee. Dr Rollins has said appointing a committee would remove the speculation that the government was attempting to suppress information.

Golden Gates MP Shane Gibson said he voted no because he felt blindsided by an MP from his own party.

He said: “The government sets the agenda in Parliament and the only grouping that blindsides members of the government as to what they want on the agenda is the opposition. If a member wants something on the agenda there is a process. It doesn’t work by trying to show up and act like a hero as to when and how something should arrive on the agenda.”

Leslie Miller, Tall Pines MP, said he voted “no” because he was not aware of what was happening in the House on Wednesday.

Another MP who did not want to be named said it was a party decision to vote against the select committee. The MP criticised Dr Rollins for his approach, saying it would have been correct for him to go before the party caucus to lobby for the support of party members.

“The PLP decided to vote no and that is it. Governments don’t work like that. You just don’t spring up, put forth a resolution and charge forward,” the MP, who did not want to be named, said.

Pinewood MP Khaalis Rolle said he simply did not see the sense in appointing parliamentarians to head a committee, as they do not have the expertise to properly investigate matters of the environment.

He said an independent committee is the best avenue for the government at this point.

“I believe a committee made up of experts with no political affiliations should be appointed. We have become too focused on ‘gotcha’ politics,” he said.

“I believe that the people would be better served by independent experts to get the best result for the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I am firmly behind this matter being investigated properly to determine what errors occurred and what we do to avoid these scenarios going forward,” Mr Rolle added.

Both Yamacraw MP Melanie Griffin and Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald declined to comment when The Tribune contacted them.