Environmental authorities probe oil spill from power-generating company

Port-of-Spain: Officials of the Environmental Management Authority and Health and Safety Department of Powergen were forced into action to address an oil spill that occured overnight from a Powergen bunker on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.

The oil leaked into the Gulf of Paria and threatened marine life along the coast as far west as Chaguaramas.

Officials have confirmed that following heavy rains three weeks ago water got into the bunker and mixed with the residual oil in the decommissioned bunker and started seeping out slowly at first before bursting into a bigger gush on Friday night.

The bunker is one of two that stored oil for the running of the old generators at Wrightson Road under the former T&TEC operations.

Officials from both agencies had been working on the problem for three weeks and they've explained that some of the oil got into the drains before entering the sea.

They say a major crisis was averted and compensation will be made where nessecary.