Trinidad and Tobago has enlisted the help of two companies specializing in remediation and salvage to assist in the cleanup of an ongoing oil spill off the coast of Tobago, the country’s Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday.
For nearly two weeks, oil has been leaking into the waters off Tobago’s Atlantic coast after a barge ran aground on a reef. The spill has now spread into the Caribbean Sea, posing a threat to nearby Venezuela and Grenada.
“An international partnership consisting of T&T Salvage LLC and QT Environmental Inc, both recognized experts and licensed oil spill cleanup organizations, has been engaged to handle on-water oil recovery, survey, and plans for cargo lightering and wreck removal,” the ministry stated.
The barge was transporting up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil when it ran aground, according to Tobago officials. The identity of the tugboat and its operator have not been disclosed.
Several beach and golf resorts in Tobago that are popular among international tourists have closed access to the ocean. Additionally, containment booms are being used to protect the nearby Scarborough cruise ship port from the spill.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister Stuart Young informed Parliament on Friday that the government is working to identify the owners of the barge and has sent diplomatic notes to the governments of Panama, Aruba, and Guyana. It is believed that the barge was being towed from Panama to Guyana via Aruba when it sank.
(Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
