Acting Prime Minister Errol Mc Leod says there can be no guarantee that another oil spill can't happen in T&T.He made the statement during a news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Port-of-Spain, following an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council, which discussed the matter.He is acting for an absent Kamla Persad-Bissessar who is in New York at the bedside of her sick sister, Sally Ahamad.
Mc Leod, acting National Security Minister Clifton De Coteau, Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Kenrick Maharaj and others met at an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday to discuss the oil spills and assistance by this country to storm-affected St Lucia and St Vincent.At least 15 people were killed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day after more than ten hours of rainfall in those Caribbean islands.
Since December 17 there have been as many as 11 oil spills at various locations off the southwestern coastline.Petrotrin had increased security at its installations as police and soldiers are manning many of the installations with company security. There have been claims that the spills have been caused by saboteurs but this has not been substantiated. A report from the investigators have not as yet been released.
Petrotrin chairman Lindsay Gillette, who also attended the news conference said despite the increase in security and the best efforts by the company to prevent further spillages "we can't guarantee that because the land mass is so vast, it is impossible to guarantee that."De Coteau in response to a question on the issue said it would be "a mission impossible" to have soldiers and police man the thousands of Petrotrin wells.
"We can't guarantee that somebody with some crazy idea or intent will not, after we have cleaned up this thing, effect some spill again," Mc Leod interjected.Mc Lead said: "With all of the best efforts that we have by the police, military, none of us could guarantee that some crazy man, some affected individual, will not commit another murder tomorrow. We couldn't guarantee that."He said citizens must advance measures aimed at protecting the country's national interests.
De Coteau said the police, army and Petrotrin's security were on red alert to defend the national interest of the country at the oil installations across the country.Meanwhile, president of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union Ancel Roget said he would have to be "crazy" if he attempted to respond to Mc Leod's comment and that of Petrotrin officials.He said they have all sidestepped the issue. Roget said how could the company talk about increased security when 273 security officers were reduced at the company.
Roget said Mc Leod, a former president general of the OWTU, with his experience in the industry should have pointed the company to the real issues.He suggested that Mc Leod may have compromised his integrity as acting PM and experience and knowledge about the sector.