Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Guyanese-American environmental engineer Dr Vincent Adams have called for improved regional standards in the energy industry to protect the environament. Their appeal follows the oil spill caused by a capsized barge, later identified as the Gulfstream, which was found lodged on a reef near Cove, Tobago on February 7. The barge was being towed by a tug boat, the Solo Creed, which is yet to be found.
Since February 7, an oily substance has been spewing from the vessel and coated the previously pristine shores of Tobago, forcing the closure of a number of beaches, two schools and marine space. It has been a blow to fishermen who look forward to good sales during the Lenten season.
The wind and currents are also carrying the oily substance to other parts of the Caribbean, including neighbouring Grenada.
During an interview with The Bubb Report, a podcast focusing on issues affecting Grenada, on Sunday, Adams described the incident as a wake-up call to the Caribbean.
The 74-year-old Adams, a former senior manager at the United States Department of Energy, said it is important that Caribbean nations work together and plan properly so that oil spills can be tackled expeditiously.
He noted that with Guyana becoming a major oil producer in the world and plans to push its production from 645,000 of barrels of oil per day to over one million, the region should be ready to act in the event of any disaster.
He said the Caribbean is not only at risk for a well blowout or oil spill.
"Every single day there is a ship, probably one every two days; the ship that transports the oil from Guyana to all over the world, they've got to pass through the Caribbean. If one of those ships is carrying one million barrels of oil – this barge is tiny compared to those ships...
"With the frequency, the risk increases. We have to be prepared.
"It's a wakeup call for the Caribbean. It's unfortunate it impacted the beautiful island of Tobago."
Adams said contingency plans are sometimes the difference between life and death.
"I cannot overemphasise the importance of having these emergency plans. We've gotta have it, and especially in countries such as ours. He said frequent exercises to determine readiness and response times are also crucial.
"You cannot wait until an emergency happens...It makes the situation much worse."
In a previous interview, Adams argued that the entire Caribbean should be involved in an environmental impact assessment by energy companies.
Using Guyana as an example, he said if a major spill occurs there, "Based on current flow, it's gonna clear Guyana shores. Trinidad would be wiped completely out, and some other countries all the way to Jamaica."
Adams said he is concerned that it has been confirmed that the Gulfstream was being towed to Guyana but the authorities there have yet to produce a manifest to say what were the contents aboard.
"That manifest has to be sent to Guyana before that ship arrives in Guyana. That manifest has a description, an identifi