An aerial view of the oil spill in Exuma. Photo: Reno Curling
By LETRE SWEETING
Tribune Staff Reporter
lsweeting@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said he would not reveal how much the government fined Sun Oil Limited for an oil spill in Exuma last year.
“I don’t disclose confidential settlements at the Office of the Attorney General, you know that,” he told reporters during an Office of the Prime Minister briefing yesterday.
It had not been publicly known until Mr Pinder’s comment yesterday that the fine was part of a confidential settlement.
In April, he said he could not disclose the fine because one had not as yet been finalised.
“I think that will be the first fine collected by the government of The Bahamas in an environmental matter since the passage of the legisålation, so a fine has been agreed with the parties in Exuma,” he said.
In July 2022, 35,000 gallons of diesel was spilt into waters off the coast of Great Exuma when a vessel Sun Oil contracted was delivering fuel.
A “breach in the hose” from the supply ship was reportedly responsible for the leak. Sun Oil chairman Sir Franklyn Wilson later said the company activated its crisis management protocol.
Meanwhile, Mr Pinder said that eight months after the Onego Traveller sank off Abaco, two-thirds of the vessel has been salvaged, but no fines have been issued.
“We can’t issue a fine without an environmental impact report,” he said. “That can’t be done until the actual completion of the removal of the ship. It has created some difficulty with timing in that they are now having to chop up that ship into very small pieces and bring it up on a barge, and then transport the pieces to shore.
“Unfortunately, that’s created somewhat of a delay. I think in the first instance, we were hoping that the process would be completed by July.”
“It appears that the pace is increasing in the last few weeks, and so we hope very soon that will be complete, so we can do our assessment. Needless to say, the environmental damage, if any of that has occurred, there will be appropriate action.”
The Onego Traveller cargo ship, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, sank on December 29, 2022. The vessel contained heavy fuel.
In February, Mr Pinder said the government ordered the ship to be removed from The Bahamas within 45 days.
Comments
moncurcool 8 months, 1 week ago
How the heck is the oil spill by Sun Oil a confidential settlement? Am I missing something here?
Oh, forgot about the PLP who owns it?
Talk about a party that looks out for its' own.
This is just unbelievable . You can't make this stuff up if you try.
Sickened 8 months, 1 week ago
This is such a slap in the face. It's actually more similar to them throwing their own feces in our face and then pissing on us while telling us they are helping us.
This government is the most disgusting, underhanded, non-caring government we have ever had. Their motto is 'screw the people'.
realfreethinker 8 months, 1 week ago
Spot on
Porcupine 8 months, 1 week ago
There is NOTHING in a functioning democratic government that should be kept from the people. Anyone who thinks so should be run out of town. Period.
AnObserver 8 months, 1 week ago
Sounds like this paper needs to file a freedom of information act petition. The bay belongs to the people, by definition, they should be able to know. This was not a crime against a private party by a private party.
The_Oracle 8 months, 1 week ago
This is garbage. Big disappointment from Mr. Pinder.
TalRussell 8 months, 1 week ago
....The story is worthy of beng told, and re-told in full. --- When your colony's AG Ryan Pinder, won't reveal how much the premiership of which he serves as a political appointee, --- Won't be talking about how much of a Fine they levied at Sun Oil Limited for an sludge oil spill into the sea waters and onto the beaches of the Out Island of Exuma last year. --- Nor is it their intent to brung about the 'decrimnalzation for personal use of Weed with no intent to traffic, --- Should this be the start of ground zero for you to give serious thought to having a 'Plan B' to explore a second Citizenship, --- Just in case. --- Didn't the AG, himself, not have be 'cured" from helding onto another citizenship. Hope 'twas a citizenship DNA test performed.. --- Yes?
pileit 8 months, 1 week ago
Hold on, how come Birdie hasn't commented on why this makes sense and we're just haters? Birdie? Birdie wey you is?
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