Oil spill on La Brea beaches...again

The beaches shoreline were smeared with oil and up to late yesterday, State-owned Petrotrin was cleaning the area.

The beaches became unsafe for beach lovers and as for the residents, among them children, they spent the day yesterday cleaning thick sticky oil from their clothing and footwear.

In confirming what appeared to be an oil-spill, Petrotrin issued a release in which it stated the the matter was still under investigation.

The affected beaches included Carat Shed Beach, Coffee Beach, Station Beach and Point Sable. Speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday, La Brea Fisherfolk Association president, Alvin La Borde, said oil washed ashore at about 6 am yesterday at the beach front. He began receiving telephone calls from residents that there were patches of oil on the water and on the sand.

“I am not sure of the origin of the oil, but I know the waters now may not be safe to go in, and I think Petrotrin should make considerably effort to put warning signs so residents would know they cannot enter the beaches until it is safe to do so,” La Borde said.

Mother of two, Tinesha Modeste, who is also seven months pregnant, said yesterday’s incident was a flashback to the 2013 massive oil spill which forced many residents out of their homes and they were unable to cook.

A pregnant mother was hospitalised for nausea.

Modeste said, “Yesterday when we woke up and there was oil on the shore again. I don’t know if this is a repeat of three years ago, but I know that they don’t care about the residents who live here.” Modeste said she was one of the affected residents back then and still suffers from a skin condition caused by the 2013 oil spill.

“This is the end result of what happened to me.

I can no longer go into the sun without my skin breaking out and this started the last time I came in contact with the oil and nothing never came out of it,” Modeste said adding she is not keeping any hope out for compensation for yesterday’s spill. Another resident Charmaine Marcano said Petrotrin has neglected the people of La Brea.

“For years we have been neglected, so I only expect them to make excuses and more cover- ups. None of the residents have gotten any compensation for what they have lost and suffered due to that oil spill,” Marcano said.

Marcano said whatever is in the atmosphere has left many residents with a “mystery skin condition”.

In 2013 La Brea, especially in the Coffee Beach area, was one of the five communities affected following a massive oil spill on December 19.

Petrotrin in a media release yesterday stated the company was aware of reports of what it described as “oil pellets” on the beaches along the south-western peninsula coastline. A team of company personnel, the release stated, visited the beaches and confirmed the presence of the oil pellets.

Petrotrin also said the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and the Environmental Management Authority were notified while investigations continue to identify the source of the oil. release said a clean-up exercise will be conducted in a manner that minimises impact on the communities and the environment.

Small patches of an oily sheen were seen even on rocks along the coastline.

Residents said high tides had carried the oil out to sea, but they expressed fears that the low tide would leave oil residue on the beaches.