Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira yesterday tabled in the House of Assembly the Review of Request process associated with the oil spill at Robinson and Old Trail Roads back in January 2013.

The leak seeped into the surrounding community and resulted in lawsuits Cable Bahamas and residents of the Marathon constituency, who claimed to have fallen ill as a result. 

The review found that the Department of Health “was not fully engaged nor resourced to do a comprehensive intervention” because there were no communication programs to keep affected parties updated on the status of remediation and no site visits to monitor the state of remediation, ensuring compliance with the law.

Additionally, it was determined that the Office of The Attorney General only advised those concerned to give “serious consideration to conducting a general health disease survey in the affected areas – for information purposes moving forward.”

Ultimately, the absence of an appropriate action plan left a void with regard to the way forward. 

The review also found that three brief observations include requirements for a comprehensive and detailed action plan to avoid a reoccurrence, adequate and mandatory standards for ownership and operation of a gas station, also ensuring that they are scrupulously observed, and making provisions to ensure any loss or damage to a third party or parties arising from a spill by defaulting them would be timeously and appropriately satisfied.