T&T TO HAVE NEW OIL RESPONSE PLAN

CCNTV6

This country is to have a revised National Oil Spill Contingency plan.  The announcement was made by the Energy Minister during American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad & Tobago conference on Tuesday.  This as the president of the Chamber called for the full operationalisation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.  Juhel Browne reports.

Transcript

00:00AMCHAM TNT President Anna Henderson focused on the issue of the Occupational Safety and Health Act

00:06during the opening ceremony of the Chamber's HSSE conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain.

00:13The recent Privy Council ruling confirming limitation periods under the OSH Act

00:18has brought about much-needed legal clarity, but it has also highlighted deeper challenges.

00:25With many cases already delayed, there is an added risk that legitimate complaints could go unresolved

00:32because they fall outside of time limits, and this erodes public confidence in a system

00:37and could limit opportunities for learning.

00:40AMCHAM TNT's President reiterated the significance of the Privy Council's judgment.

00:45That's why we believe that this ruling must be the catalyst to fully operationalize the Occupational Safety and Health Authority

00:50with a functional and independent board.

00:55A strong OSH authority with the right leadership, governance, and resources

01:00can ensure timely investigations, fair enforcement, and greater accountability.

01:06It's not just a policy requirement.

01:09It's a moral imperative to safeguard workers and build trust in our national HSSE framework.

01:16We must act on this now.

01:18Energy Minister Dr. Rudal Munilal later spoke about actions

01:22as the government plans to take on an issue related to health and safety.

01:26As he said, it has been nearly 10 years since the evaluation of critical energy infrastructure was last performed.

01:34The industry has made progress in this area, evidenced by a decline in significant incidents,

01:40with the ministry reporting a drop from 58 incidents in 2016 to 24 in 2024,

01:49and a current tally of 20 incidents for this year.

01:53In total, there were 305 reported incidents, predominantly occurring in the upstream sector,

02:01including 44 incidents attributed to fires or explosions, resulting regrettably in eight fatalities.

02:09Minister Munilal said that while there have been advancements in safety within the domestic energy industry,

02:15considerable work remains to be done.

02:17This consideration is being given to engage an HSSE consulting firm to assess our current HSSE practices within the domestic sector.

02:27The mandate of the firm will be to provide recommendations aimed at enhancing safety protocols and adopting best practices.

02:35The energy minister said from 2016 through the first half of 2025,

02:41Trinidad and Tobago experienced 1,858 oil spills, with 71% occurring on land.

02:49In total, 92,335 barrels were spilled.

02:54Heritage and its predecessor Petrotrin were responsible for 80% of the number of oil spills,

03:01and 94% of the barrels of oil spilled.

03:04The energy minister said these figures do not include oil spilled from the Gulf Stream vessel in Tobago in 2024.

03:13Oil spills, a major consequence of energy production, represents a serious environmental threat due to their extensive and enduring effects.

03:24Consequently, it is imperative to promote a revised national oil spill contingency plan.

03:31This initiative requires not only government action, but also strong collaboration with industry stakeholders.

03:39The energy minister said this is to ensure effective preparedness and response to potential oil spills.

03:45Jewel Brown, TV6 News.

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