The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) says it was first alerted on Tuesday morning to the listing of a barge carrying waste oil collected from Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), but has not confirmed the cargo’s intended destination or whether it knew of an earlier reported hull leak.
Responding to questions raised by members of the media in a WhatsApp group, the commission said information received indicated that swells from passing vessels caused the piles securing the barge to shift, resulting in it listing.
“We wish to clarify that the cargo remains intact and no leakage of its contents has been recorded,” the CDC stated.
Its responses follow Kiskadee Watch’s report yesterday that court documents detailed a dispute over approximately 8,080 barrels of GPL waste oil aboard HT100, a barge owned by businessman Ganshyam Mahase.
Mahase told the High Court that the vessel developed a hull leak in January and warned in May that its deteriorating condition posed a spill risk. South Eastern Shipping Corp., the company involved in the charter arrangement, disputed responsibility. Justice Peter Hugh referred the contractual dispute to arbitration in September without deciding the competing allegations.
Asked when it became aware of the incident and whether it knew of reports of a hull leak several months earlier, the CDC said it learnt of the listing on the morning of October 20. It did not directly answer the question about prior knowledge of the reported leak.
The distinction between a leak in a vessel’s hull and leakage of its cargo also remains relevant: the commission’s assurance addressed the contents remaining intact, while the court proceedings concerned allegations about the barge’s condition.
On the source of the oil, the CDC said it understood that the material had been collected from GPL’s power generation plants under a private commercial arrangement involving a contractor.
“At the time of the incident, the barge had not departed. As such, the CDC is unable to confirm the intended destination of the waste oil or the subsequent transportation arrangements, which would fall within the remit of the private contractor,” it stated.
Court filings reported by Kiskadee Watch described an arrangement to hold the oil aboard HT100 until a larger vessel arrived to export it. They did not identify the destination country or receiving vessel. Mahase said the oil was loaded at GPL facilities at Garden of Eden and Adventure, Essequibo Coast.
The CDC’s responses did not name the private contractor, barge owner or owner of the wharf involved in the current incident.
Asked whether the commission, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, MARAD Director General Stephen Thomas and other relevant officials would brief the media, the CDC said no formal briefing was being considered.
“At this stage, the CDC considers the situation a precautionary exercise rather than a disaster incident,” it stated.
It acknowledged that the circumstances had the potential to become more serious but reiterated that the cargo remained intact and no leakage had been recorded.
The commission was also asked whether the Environmental Protection Agency was testing for effects on marine species, including possible impacts from radioactive materials.
It responded that, based on the current assessment, no cargo leakage had occurred.
“Consequently, an environmental impact assessment is not considered necessary under the present circumstances,” the CDC said.
The response did not specify whether water, sediment or cargo samples had been tested. Nor did it establish that radioactive materials were present.
In its Wednesday update, the commission had reported that the barge was upright and stabilised, with containment booms deployed. Questions remain about the cargo’s removal, its destination and what monitoring or inspections preceded Tuesday’s response.
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