By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Sidney Collie has chastised the Christie administration for its “lackadaisical” handling of the 2012 Rubis fuel spill, accusing the government of forcing Marathon residents to “weather a storm of potential health risks” while it “sat on its hands”.

In particular, Mr Collie blasted Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald for previously lashing out at critics over the matter, claiming that Mr Fitzgerald’s mind “must be so clouded by PLP rhetoric that he can’t even acknowledge the absolute relevance and obvious expectation of criticism”.

The release of 12,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline was observed in late December, 2012, by former operator Fiorente Management, and reported to Rubis on January 19, 2013, according to the BEST Commission. Black and Veatch was later contracted by the government in 2013 to investigate the matter. The firm’s report found that residents were exposed to potentially harmful chemicals, including cancer-causing benzene.

The report was completed on February 20, 2014, and only released in April, 2015, causing some observers to accuse the government of suppressing the document for more than a year.

Mr Fitzgerald previously indicated that his silence on the matter was the result of a decision made by the Cabinet. He also said the delay in making the Black and Veatch report public was due to the Attorney General not authorising its release.

Nonetheless, Mr Fitzgerald ultimately hit out at critics who he claimed attempted to politicise the fuel spill, saying that instead of helping the residents of Marathon and the wider population understand what was really happening “their tactic was riddled with promoting negativity, fear mongering and sowing seeds of distrust”.

On Thursday, Mr Collie said in a statement: “Until my last days on earth, I will never understand how PLP parliamentarians - namely (Mr Fitzgerald) - could possibly push the blame on anyone but themselves. Even after the government made long-awaited apologies, (Mr Fitzgerald) scoffed at critics, accusing them of political smearing.

“(Mr Fitzgerald’s) mind must be so clouded by PLP rhetoric that he can’t even acknowledge the absolute relevance and obvious expectation of criticism.”

Mr Collie added: “Worse than his excuse (that he would have been fired for releasing details of the Rubis report) is the fact that he says he would not question the decision of the Attorney General in withholding this information from the public. It is beyond me that he doesn’t understand as Marathon’s member of Parliament, that is exactly his job, to question government actions and seek all possible solutions on behalf of those he represents.”

Mr Collie went on to say that Bahamians “cannot risk another five years of this careless government’s neglect for public concern”, adding that the country must enact policies that “reinforce transparency and accountability” to prevent disasters like the Rubis spill from occurring in the future.

“Not only does transparency ensure Bahamians have access to important information, it incentivises administrations, regardless of party, to act responsibly,” he said.