Tancoo: FSO Nabarima is a Ticking Time Bomb
UNC M.P. for Oropouche West, Dave Tancoo, is cautioning that “the Trinidad & Tobago Government’s mishandling of the potential disaster – associated with the dangerously listing oil tanker FSO Nabarima – is a ticking time bomb.”
“Our Nation is facing a potential catastrophic environmental and economic disaster should this oil tanker sink and spill its millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Paria,” said Tancoo. “The livelihoods, jobs, and welfare of thousands of our citizens — as well as our national ecology, marine life, and shorelines — are in grave danger.”
Reports of this impending crisis were first raised in August 2020 by a Venezuelan trade union leader, who advised that the vessel was suffering from water ingress and was in real danger of sinking. Local fishermen subsequently reported seeing oil in the water suggesting there already was seepage.
The oil tanker is jointly operated by Venezuela’s state oil company (PDVSA) and Italy’s ENI oil giant and has been abandoned in the Gulf of Paria between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
“Given the location of the ship, any spill will do significant damage to our country’s economy, from the massive costs of clean-up, to ecological devastation, loss of earnings for fisherfolk, damage to maritime vessels, loss of food security, all of which will run this country into hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Tancoo, who also serves as Opposition Shadow Minister of Finance.
“It is very frustrating that it has taken so long for the government to get involved, especially given the fact that this government had face-to-face meetings recently with the top executives of PDVSA,” Tancoo stated.
“This government lifted both the Covid-19 border and quarantine restrictions it had imposed on our nation in March 2020, to host a clandestine meeting with Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez and senior executives of PDVSA, earlier this year – after the borders closed,” the M.P. said. “Whereas, all cross-border activity and even entry of our own citizens, who are stranded overseas, still remain in lockdown today,” he continued.
The Oropouche West Member of Parliament raised the following questions:
“What then has been the reason for this significant delay in responding to this unraveling crisis?”
“What mechanisms and contingencies have been put in place to mitigate the risks associated with this potential disaster?”
“Has the Office of Disaster Preparedness been put on alert?”
“Has the Ministry of Energy, National Security, Trade, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries, etc. been summoned and a task force established to have this matter thoroughly examined and quickly resolved?” he asked.
“While the Government sits on its hands, the threat to our ecology and economy continues to loom like a ticking time bomb over our nation,” Tancoo cautioned. “Unless the government gets its act together as a matter of urgency, Trinidad and Tobago remains at risk of a significant financial and ecological disaster we cannot afford, “ M.P. Tancoo concluded.