Grenada Will Not Be Affected By Tobago Oil Spill

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) says Grenada is not expected to be affected by the oil spill affecting the south-western coast of Tobago as the authorities in the twin island republic continue with their efforts to determine the owners and name of the vessel at the center of the spill that began on Wednesday last week.

Efforts continue to deal with the oil spill in Tobago (File Photo)“The Agency has contacted the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Trinidad and Tobago, for an update on the situation. ODPM has informed that it has conducted assessments which include satellite imagery and aircraft fly-over,” NaDMA said in a statement.

“The results indicate that the oil spill is contained to the south of Tobago. Consequently, the State of Grenada is currently not under threat of impact from the oil spill. NaDMA will continue to monitor this development and provide updates as necessary,” it added.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, told a news conference on Sunday that “an unknown vessel has apparently drifted upside down into Tobago’s zone.

“That vessel, we don’t know who it belongs to, we have no idea where it came from and we also don’t know all that it contains. What we do know, it appears to be broken having made contact here and is leaking some kind of hydro carbon that is foiling the water and the coastline,” Rowley told reporters.

He said Trinidad and Tobago has been “offered significant help from friendly nations who have been involved in this and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security are currently engaged in talking to people with more capacity than Trinidad and Tobago”.

More than 1,000 volunteers are involved in the cleanup of the spill as the authorities try to isolated the leak from the vessel which had been abandoned by its crew.