BNT report: High concentrations of oil still in areas impacted by Equinor oil spill

Even after 18 months of weathering and remediation work, there are still high concentrations of oil in the areas impacted by the Equinor oil spill during Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

The findings were revealed in a report released recently by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) entitled “State of the Environment Post-Dorian”.

According to the BNT report, the concentration of oil was still high enough to negatively impact birds and other organisms and significant remediation is still needed at the quarry site, north of the main area cleared by Equinor.

Waterkeepers Bahamas conducted the investigation in March this year. It analyzed soil samples collected from the Equinor spill site.

“The highest concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) (up to 151,000 mg/ kg) were measured in soil samples in areas 2 and 3, the areas that received the most wind-blown oil. As the samples were collected, Dr. Ancilleno Davis and Waterkeepers Bahamas staff noticed visible oil sheens on the water surface as they walked along, displacing oil from the subsurface. This observation confirms the presence of oil in the subsurface, in spite of remediation efforts,” the report states.

When Hurricane Dorian ripped through eastern Grand Bahama with 185 mile-per-hour winds in September 2021, the tops of crude oil storage tanks flew off and nearly five million gallons of oil were subsequently spread from two full tanks, which was spread over approximately 21 acres of wetlands, pine forests and a quarry.

Noting that the Equinor storage facility has not been made hurricane hardened to withstand winds or tidal surges likely to impact Grand Bahama in the future and based on Equinor’s delayed response following the spill, the BNT report states that a detailed, offensive interventions spill response plan, which includes specific strategies to protect sensitive ecological resources, must be developed to replace the typical defensive, wait-and-see and then clean up the beaches plan.

“The Bahamas should consider expansion of surface water protection legislation and regulations requiring spill prevention, countermeasure and contingency (SPCC) planning similar to the US Clean Water Act requirements for large above ground storage facilities. This plan would require adequate response capabilities,” the report states.

“Adequate, on-island capabilities should be established including oil boom containment and oil spill isolation capabilities, as well as the training and equipment to deploy those capabilities. This planning should be consistent with and included in the Caribbean Island Oil Pollution Response and Cooperation Plan and the Bahamian National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP). Facility specific table-top and field exercises should be undertaken according to established plans to increase preparedness in a disaster.

“There is a need for an effective incident command in the event a response is needed, with a clear process for initial command and then hand-offs in the event of a large spill. An incident command structure should be formalized that includes oversight by experienced experts in the field that are accountable to public institutions.”

Additionally, investigators recommended legislation should be drafted stipulating that a natural resource damage assessment occurs after every major spill to understand the required remediation steps and costs as well as any financial liability of the responsible party to pay for restoration and loss of services or livelihoods.

“Such an assessment should be codified in legislation to better protect the long-term interests of The Bahamas and its citizens. Such an assessment would take the following into account: Tourism is predominantly from cruise ships and overnight visitation. The Bahamian economy is dependent on clean beaches and marine-based opportunities offered by the islands. The Bahamas and surrounding areas are home to ten critically endangered, 15 endangered and 42 vulnerable species according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (’IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,’ 2005),” the report states.

“A major release of crude oil would have long-lasting and in some cases irreversible consequences on endangered and vulnerable species. Effective spill containment and response is critical and a Grand Bahama reserve account or trust fund should be established by the oil storage and handling facilities as part of the SPCC process. Marine mammals and sea turtles could be affected by oil spills through various pathways: surface contact, inhalation, ingestion and baleen fouling. As air-breathing animals, health impacts from oil spills can be fatal or result in long-term health decline.”

Pointing to The Bahamas’ vulnerability to increased storms from climate change and “the threat of oil exploration and other high-risk infrastructure development projects proposed in the country”, the BNT report states that petroleum-related policies of The Bahamas should include taxation or other revenue streams related to the petrochemical industry (including fuel transport, etc.) to provide for national risk management investments and regulations to ensure adequate prevention, preparedness and response capability to disasters that reflect the value of ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.

The post BNT report: High concentrations of oil still in areas impacted by Equinor oil spill appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/bnt-report-high-concentrations-of-oil-still-in-areas-impacted-by-equinor-oil-spill/