Officials: Environmental disaster averted in Barbados’ first major oil spill

Barbados faced its first-ever crude oil spill of this nature early Friday morning, prompting an all-hands emergency response that officials say helped prevent what could have been a far worse environmental disaster.

The incident also prompted temporary closure of parts of the Oistins commercial district.

Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw confirmed that the spill, which occurred around 1 a.m. near the Barbados National Energy Company Ltd. (BNECL)’s facility,  where crude oil is processed and exported, marked an unprecedented environmental threat for the country.

“This is the first oil spill of this nature that we have seen in the country,” Bradshaw told reporters at the scene. “Thanks to the quick action of the Bay Garden team and the coordinated effort of emergency agencies, we were able to contain what could have been a far more serious situation.”

She credited staff at the Bay Garden for detecting the leak and immediately using sand to block the spread of crude oil toward the road and nearby coastline, stating, “Their responsiveness ensured all of the various teams across the country were able to be mobilised.”

Officials say the leak originated from BNECL’s pumping facility at Fairy Valley, which was in the process of exporting crude oil to a waiting tanker offshore. The exact cause of the leak has not yet been confirmed as investigations continue. 

BNECL’s Group Health and Safety Manager, Damien Catlyn, said the company’s rapid response team was activated shortly after notification, and oil flow from the facility was quickly isolated. 

“We are now in the mitigation phase… recovering the oil that is on the ground and in the marine outfall,” he noted, adding that as a safety precaution, the natural gas supply to the area has been cut. 

“This area from the bottom of Pegwell through Oistins is closed off to natural gas,” said Minister of Energy Lisa Cummins, who confirmed the leaked product was crude oil.

As of late morning, the road from the Y-junction by the Oistins Police Station to the bottom of Oistins Hill remained closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 

Businesses in the immediate area, including the fish market and several food vendors, have also suspended operations.

“Officials are aiming to reassess the site by midday,” said Minister of Environment Adrian Forde, noting that full reopening would depend on how quickly cleanup teams can complete flushing the drainage system and neutralising the fumes.

Cleanup crews remain on-site using heavy-duty equipment to recover pooled oil and wash down affected areas. 

Police officers and firefighters are stationed around the perimeter, even as they urge wayward pedestrians to acknowledge caution tape and adhere to warnings to stay clear.

Officials say it is still too early to determine how much oil was spilled, but confirm that no oil entered the sea, a result they continuously attribute to the early intervention by vendors and the installation of sand berms around stormwater outflows.

Senior Minister Dr William Duguid, who has oversight of infrastructural projects, also joined in praising the initial containment work by citizens. 

“I want to really thank the people from the Bay Garden, who were the first on scene and started mobilising by putting a sand berm to stop oil getting into the drain or onto the road,” he said.

Among those first on the scene was president of the Bay Garden Association, Kemar Harris who said he and his staff identified the problem around 1:20 a.m. 

“We smelled the strong fumes and saw the oil running over. Immediately, I asked my staff to get sand… to stop the oil from going to the main road and also to the beach,” he recounted.

Despite the disruption, Harris said he hoped the popular Friday evening festivities in Oistins could resume by nightfall.

Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Bradshaw noted that while the government is accustomed to preparing for hurricanes or tsunamis, this incident revealed gaps in oil spill readiness at the community level. 

“One of the lessons learned is that the Bay Garden team clearly needs to be more integrally involved in responding to these types of emergencies,” she said.

She added that once a full assessment of the cleanup is completed, the Ministry of Transport and other agencies will update the public on road access, business reopening, and any additional safety advisories.