The THA insists there is no threat to Tobago as a result of the process to dispose of oil collected in the recent spill.

The Office of the Chief Secretary today issued a statement following a newspaper article which it says are “inaccurate and misleading”.

The article alleged that the disposal of the oil using pits at the Studley Park Landfill may pose a threat to the environment, due to oil spilling over the pits and interacting with the soil.

It says Chief Secretary Farley Augustine commissioned the Tobago Emergency Management Agency to do a reconnaissance of the area to assess the situation.

It adds that TEMA has since reported that there is no evidence of oil emanating from the pits and confirmed that the earthen dikes around the cells have not been breached.

The Chief Secretary also notes that the process of digging, lining and utilising the holes, included collaboration with and approval from the Environmental Management Authority and THA Occupational Safety and Health officers.

He adds that officers from the landfill frequently survey the surrounding areas to ensure no signs of oil leakage, while the THA is in communication with the Energy Ministry regarding the Ministry’s undertaking of the final disposal of the oil from the oil spill.