CAY BAY--A second oil spill for the year in Cay Bay occurred Friday and appears to have been caused by utilities company GEBE again. This time, St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies has taken a strong stance.
Harbour CEO/Master Mark Mingo is demanding GEBE make the necessary changes to prevent this from happening again and ensure it is properly equipped for quick response in an emergency. This demand is also to be formally addressed with the company.
GEBE was contacted for a comment on the spill, but no information was received up to press time. After the spill in February, the company had said there was a security firm that monitored the area to prevent spillage or to quickly report any before it escalates.
The surface of Cay Bay was coated in oil and the smell of fuel tainted the area, especially at Seaside Nature Park where a number of families with small children opted to spend Good Friday. Their fun day of swimming, horseback riding, and bonding with nature was marred by the spill.
A furious Mingo said after the spill more than a month ago, it was hoped that GEBE would have put all precautions in place to prevent another massive spill. He said while it is understandable that everything doesn't work perfectly every time, as a responsible company, GEBE should pay more attention to its practices.
The Harbour Group has the concession for Great Bay and Cay Bay with the CEO holding the post of Harbour Master. The group oversees the proper used of the Dutch side's coastal waters.
Mingo said aside from the damage to the ocean and water quality, there is even more concern about the impact for residents and the environment, in general.
"After one spill, and seeing what that has done to the rocky beach and nature, it is only right to make changes to prevent a second one," Mingo said. The faulty outlet should have been fixed and the general area thoroughly checked for any other weak point, he added. "If any was found, it should have been taken care of."
Mingo was with his family at the nature park when he learnt of the spill. Harbour Chief Operating Officer Keith Franca was also on site later after calling the Coast Guards to take water samples and a report.
Franca told The Daily Herald that from eyewitnesses' reports, the spill started around 7:30am. The source of the spill can only be the Cay Bay power plant as it is the only one in the area in production, he said.
According to Seaside Nature Park officials, the air smelt of fuel and the bay was coated with "this black stuff." The staffers took photos of the spill and these were given to the Coast Guard for its report.
Environmental activist Rueben Thompson was also on site to survey the extent of the damage caused by the spill. Thompson and other concern residents were outraged with the environmental damage.
The utilities company held a press conference four days after the February 18 spill to explain that the leak was caused by waste oil handling system overload. The system became overloaded when too much fuel and waste oil passed through a water passage, making its way to a holding pit and then to the sea.
