PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago government says it has dealt adequately with an oil spill that had been detected at the start of this month, even as Venezuela complained to the international community that the spill had caused environmental damage in the Gulf of Paria and along coastal areas of Sucre and Delta Amacuro.

“Evaluations carried out by Venezuelan authorities show severe risks to mangroves, wetlands, marine fauna and strategic hydrobiological resources for food security and the ecological balance of the region. Likewise, impacts have been recorded on vulnerable species and ecosystems of high environmental sensitivity,” Venezuela said in a statement over the weekend.

The South American country said that it had instructed its foreign ministry to immediately request all pertinent information regarding the incident, as well as the corresponding action plan for the mitigation and containment of the spill, as it also demanded “compliance with the obligations established in international environmental law and the urgent adoption of reparation measures for the damage caused”.

But in a statement, the Ministry of Energy and  Energy Industries (MEEI) said that the oil spill detected in the Main Field on May 1 was stopped on the same day, repaired and returned to service the following day.

It said that Heritage Petroleum Company Limited (Heritage) had “instantly informed relevant regulatory authorities, including the MEEI, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and that approval was granted by MEEI to use chemical dispersants.

“An oil spill trajectory modelling was immediately conducted, which indicated that if left untreated the hydrocarbon material could cross the Trinidad/Venezuelan border in the Gulf of Paria. Immediately upon receiving the approval of the use of the chemical dispersant, it was deployed approximately six to eight 8 nautical miles from the Trinidad/Venezuelan border.

“Visual observations confirmed that the dispersant effectively broke up the hydrocarbon. Follow-up inspections using both drones and vessels showed no visible hydrocarbons remaining on the water’s surface,”  the MEEi said.

It said that the spill was estimated to be 10 barrels of oil and that “daily inspections continue to be made within all operating fields offshore, which have revealed no spill incidents”.

The MEEI said that it will collaborate with all relevant authorities locally and abroad to provide any additional information which may be required and that it is “also committed to working with its counterparts in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to develop a structured framework to manage any incidents of this nature which may arise in the future along our shared border.

“The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries remains committed to ensuring that all of its stakeholders operate in a manner which advances the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to protection of the environment in keeping with domestic law and international obligations,” the statement added.

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal described the incident as “a minor event in Trinidad and Tobago waters that was dealt with in 48 hours.”

“The situation was contained quickly and effectively,” Moonilal told reporters, insisting that there was no significant environmental impact.

Moonilal said “dilapidated infrastructure and ageing pipeline installations” left behind by the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government had increased the likelihood of leaks, which he described as common following “years of PNM neglect”.

But former energy minister Stuart Young is calling for a probe into the oil spill, saying both Heritage Petroleum and the current administration deliberately withheld information from the public about a “major offshore oil spill.”

“Having regard to the announcement by the Ministry of Energy a short while ago about an oil spill on May 1, it is clear that both Heritage and the Government sought to cover up and hide a major offshore oil spill, which is a significant environmental event,” Young said,  calling for a formal investigation to determine who was responsible for suppressing information about the incident.

“There must be an investigation now into who suppressed this information of an oil spill since May 1,” he said.