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Big oil spill on Ironshore coastline
BY MARK CUMMINGS Observer senior reporter cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Officials of the Montego Bay Marine Park and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) were up to press time last night unable to identify the source of a big oil spill on the Ironshore coastline which, if not contained soon, could wreak havoc on marine life in the area.
"Up to this point we are still unable to identify the source of the spill," said Roland Haye, the regional co-ordinator at the ODPEM.
A section of the Ironshore coastline where there was an oil spill yesterday.
The spill, which occurred about half a mile for the Sandals Royal Caribbean Hotel and a few chains from the construction site of the Club RIU Hotel, was discovered by a hotel employee shortly before 2:00 pm yesterday.
Yesterday evening thick viscous fluid was seen flowing in the sea, while a large section of the wetland was found to be saturated with the thick black substance.
"From first appearance it seems to be used oil and it is seeping from the wetland into a canal and then into the sea," said Haye.
Operations manager of the Montego Bay Marine Park, Omar Ebanks, who arrived on the scene shortly before 5:00 pm later told the Observer that he had already approached the coast guard and other agencies for help to contain the spill.
CEO of Sandals Resorts International Resorts, Adam Stewart, who along with employees of Sandals Royal toured the affected area, said last night that the spill did not pose an immediate threat to the resort.
He expressed concern, however, for the marine life in the area.
"I think the threat is probably more to the marine life in the area," said Stewart. "We don't know the source of it (oil spill) now but it seems to be a bad scene," the CEO stressed.
He added that Sandals Resorts would do whatever it can to contain the spill.
Oil spills can smother algae, plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
BY MARK CUMMINGS Observer senior reporter cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Officials of the Montego Bay Marine Park and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) were up to press time last night unable to identify the source of a big oil spill on the Ironshore coastline which, if not contained soon, could wreak havoc on marine life in the area.
"Up to this point we are still unable to identify the source of the spill," said Roland Haye, the regional co-ordinator at the ODPEM.
A section of the Ironshore coastline where there was an oil spill yesterday. The spill, which occurred about half a mile for the Sandals Royal Caribbean Hotel and a few chains from the construction site of the Club RIU Hotel, was discovered by a hotel employee shortly before 2:00 pm yesterday.
Yesterday evening thick viscous fluid was seen flowing in the sea, while a large section of the wetland was found to be saturated with the thick black substance.
"From first appearance it seems to be used oil and it is seeping from the wetland into a canal and then into the sea," said Haye.
Operations manager of the Montego Bay Marine Park, Omar Ebanks, who arrived on the scene shortly before 5:00 pm later told the Observer that he had already approached the coast guard and other agencies for help to contain the spill.
CEO of Sandals Resorts International Resorts, Adam Stewart, who along with employees of Sandals Royal toured the affected area, said last night that the spill did not pose an immediate threat to the resort.
He expressed concern, however, for the marine life in the area.
"I think the threat is probably more to the marine life in the area," said Stewart. "We don't know the source of it (oil spill) now but it seems to be a bad scene," the CEO stressed.
He added that Sandals Resorts would do whatever it can to contain the spill.
Oil spills can smother algae, plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
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