The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MARATHON residents continue to live in fear for their health nearly two years after a reported 30,000-gallon gasoline leak at a nearby fuel station.

Concerns have intensified, according to residents, after independent research into health risks revealed that exposure to a standard compound found in fuel has been linked to cancer.

More than seven months have passed since a comprehensive statement was promised by the government on the underground gas leak from the Rubis gas station at the Robinson Road and Old Trail Road intersection.

During several walkabouts in the area bordered by the fuel station, residents told The Tribune that they have received no information from the government about remediation plans for the area, or the results of initial tests conducted to determine their level of exposure.

According to documents obtained by The Tribune, the Ministry of Environment and Housing requested that Rubis Bahamas conduct a public health assessment of the neighbouring area, and biannual health assessments of those individuals determined to be directly affected by the fuel release.

However, residents with test wells drilled on their property confirmed that no health assessments have been conducted to date.

The Ministry of Public Works responded to complaints of fuel fumes at a building near the then-Texaco station on October 2, 2012, according to documents obtained by The Tribune.

However, residents Richard and Adrianne Munroe said that an assessment was not conducted at their home off Robinson Road until they reported the presence of gasoline in their tap water on January 10, 2013.

The Munroes’ daughter Annie-Laurie said: “That thing was so seeped in our water – we were bathing and cleaning meat and we could smell it coming through in the water. This is what pisses me off, you (government) have the audacity to not even speak about it in Parliament.

“If they want to talk about the whole issue of oil and fuel, they should make a full representation. This is just as international, it may not be as public as the issue with Clifton and Stuart’s Cove. What is going on, our safety is at risk. We constantly live in jeopardy, even though we’re in the public water system now we still live in this environment.”

The Munroes made their initial complaint directly to the gas station, which was said to have been transitioning from Texaco to Rubis Bahamas at the time. The family said that representatives were immediately dispatched to their home.

In a letter dated December 19, 2013 to the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, the Munroe family wrote: “Shortly thereafter we were verbally advised by Rubis and its authorised agents that we be taken off of our well-water system and to use the public water supply. We proceeded upon this advice and transitioned to the public water system. Rubis then began to dig different wells on our property, where several different persons came and tested the water.”

The Munroes, along with several other residents, said they were asked to make the switch to the public water system, but there was no sense of urgency or full explanation given.

Another nearby resident, Kendrick Evans, had test wells drilled inside his home, one in his dining room and another in his mother’s bedroom. Mr Evans said devices were also left in his home overnight to measure fumes; however, when he enquired about the tests he was told that everything was fine.

Mr Evans’ mother died of cancer last year.

For the past year, Rubis Bahamas has rented a portion of Mr Evans’ backyard to operate a solid vapour extraction system as part of its remediation efforts to clean up ground water.

Mr Evans said he was told by the company that they would need to lease the space for at least another year.

Correspondence from the Department of Environmental Health Services’ (DEHS) Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment Division was delivered by hand in a letter dated March 8, 2013, according to the Munroes.

The DEHS letter informed residents that water sample collections and tests from private wells would be conducted in the area, adding that the exercise represented standard practice when there was evidence of fuel oil leaks from service stations.

The Munroes said there was no further communication from the government until November 15, 2013, when representatives from the BEST Commission, and independent consultants Black & Veatch, visited their home and enquired about the circumstances surrounding the alleged fuel deposits in their well-water system.

In a letter to the BEST Commission dated September 16, 2014, Annie-Laurie Munroe wrote: “I can find no other words to express how seriously disappointed I am as a citizen and as a resident of this country at this point in time. Particularly, I am disappointed in how this matter from a governmentally administrative perspective is being dealt with.

“My humble request is only that some written communication which properly and unbiasedly informs us of the details and implications of our living at our address.”

The letter added: “Primarily we hope that some detail can be given pertaining to the impact on our present and future health and environmental well-being post the fuel leak and water contamination based on the independent consultant’s report.”

Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that are generally volatile, toxic and soluble in water. A group of compounds called BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes) can make up to 18 per cent of a standard blend.

While all the compounds are toxic, benzene is a “well-established cause of cancer in humans”, according to the World Health Organisation.

A Ministry of Environment document obtained by The Tribune, dated August 22, confirmed that elevated levels of benzene were detected in a test well in May 2013, and called for additional wells to be installed on the north side of the Munroe residence.

In a 2010 report, the WHO said: “Benzene causes acute myeloid leukaemia (acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia), and there is limited evidence that benzene may also cause acute and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

“Individuals who have experienced benzene poisoning requiring treatment show a substantially increased risk of mortality from leukaemia,” it added.

The United States’ Centres for Disease Control (CDC) also reports that Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly.

In a fact sheet on benzene listed under chemical emergencies, the CDC states: “For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.”

It added: “If you think you may have been exposed to benzene, you should remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible.”

In March 2013, Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett confirmed to members of the media that his ministry had received the report on the underground gas leak, and expected to make a comprehensive statement on the matter.