Last night on 7NEWS, Chief Environmental Officer Martin Allegria said that Belize Natural Energy has refused to submit an environmental impact assessment. And because of that, Allegria said the oil spill which occurred last week could re-occur and the next time it could be worse. Today BNE responded and said they are ready for an oil spill. The company claims that their wells are manned 24 hours a day and if there is a spill, they claim to have the keys to a one of its kind vacuum truck, an on site fire truck, and mobile spill unit.
As for last week's spill which occurred due to a malfunction in Mike Usher Well #2 - the company has produced a letter from Belize Water Services which certified that Spanish Lookout's water supply was not contaminated by the spill. The information doesn't address why they haven't submitted an EIA or if they plan to do so.
In a late evening release, the Department of Environment states that the estimated quantity of oil dispersed as a fine mist was approximately three to five gallons. It says that the Department of the Environment is working with NEMO to ensure that the emergency response plans are properly developed and effectively instituted.
