Senior Reporter
rhondor.dowlat@guardian.co.tt
The Director of the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Allan Stewart has confirmed that all the equipment needed for clean-up operations of the oil spill are currently on the island.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, he said the containment was in effect.
“We are making sure that there are crews out there ensuring that it is contained,” Stewart said.
“The leak of the oil has spread to neighbouring territories such as Grenada’s territorial waters but we have started to clean up from Scarborough and we are moving down to Lambeau at this time,” he added.
Stewart noted that they have developed skirtings on the side of the road to prevent the oil from coming onto the roadway, “And we have all the equipment that we need on the island to speed up the process in terms of cleanup. It continues apace. We are making steady progress. We are focusing on those areas going further South West.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, TEMA partnered with the Maritime Services Division, Ministry of Works and Transport to host an impactful oil spill training at the Joint Operations Command Centres in Lambeau and Scarborough.
Kudos went out to RAC Rempeitc Agency of Curacao for leading the two informative sessions, which promoted community engagement, complying with regulations, and fostering effective response coordination.
The training sessions covered crucial topics: basic cleanup, hazards, and occupational safety and health, all of which contribute to a proactive and resilient approach to mitigating the impact of oil spills on both the environment and communities.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) in Grenada said it continues to carefully monitor the oil spill.
NaDMA has held meetings with several entities including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, the Information and Training Centre, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management in T&T.