Crude oil leakage in South

COCOYEA Village residents have once again reported another leakage of crude oil, some four days after State-owned oil company, Petrotrin, assured residents that a leak emanating from an aged pipeline had been brought under control. In a Petrotrin media advisory last Wednesday, the company stated that clean-up operations had also begun on the pipeline located in the “Wayleave” path and that 13 residents had been examined at the company’s medical centre, treated and discharged. However, Culbin Road resident Linda Austin, said her husband, Sheldon, had discovered another seepage of the black liquid springing from a hole just behind their home’s retaining wall yesterday. “When their (Petrotrin’s) contractors were here last week, I remember telling one of them that there was more than one leak. And his response to me was that if it had another leak, they would have already dug up here,” she said.

Austin observed that last Friday, a small seepage had been observed which, according to Petrotrin officials, was merely runoff from the initial leak. “Now if this is runoff, how long is this going to take?” she asked. When Newsday visited the site, the dark liquid had already covered a significant section of the Austin’s backyard and was slowly seeping towards a small stream located some distance from the house. The putrid scent of raw hydrocarbons permeated the atmosphere, which Austin said had already aggravated her small son’s asthma condition. “All we are asking is for Petrotrin to come and fix this leak because for the past month, this is the third leak we have had to deal with, and this is proving to be a health hazard for everyone in this area,” she said. Meanwhile, efforts to contact Petrotrin officials proved futile yesterday.