Americas News
Bahamas Spill: Bunker Barge Overflowed During Refueling
An oil spill off Grand Bahama island Sunday occurred because of an overflow of light diesel from bunker barge Smit Inesita to Mt Butterfly, Kenred Dorsett, minister of the Environment & Housing, said in a statement released on the matter.
Raymond Darville of the salvage company Overseas Marine Group Ltd. had previouslt put the amount of oil spilled at around 1,000 gallons, but the government says just approximately 210 gallons were spilled.
An Associated Press report said the spill had gone unnoticed for half an hour.
Crews with the Bahamas Oil Refinery Company (BORCO) were said to have been continuing cleanup operations.
"The immediate concern of [Bahamas Oil Refining Company] Borco was to contain the movement of the spilled fuel, so it went into defensive mode with its emergency crew putting booms in place around the source of the spill and extending booms to potential areas where the fuel could spread," Dorsett said.
He said no dispersants were used in the operation.
After a spill last month, Darville raised concerns about the government's handling of the situation and said officials were downplaying the seriousness of the incident.
About 3,000 gallons spilled in that accident, which occurred when as ship owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) damaged its hull.
