{"id":15769,"date":"2017-09-05T19:51:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-05T19:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=15769"},"modified":"2017-09-05T19:51:58","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T19:51:58","slug":"bayelsa-community-oil-spill-was-it-due-to-equipment-failure-community-yes-shell-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=15769","title":{"rendered":"BAYELSA COMMUNITY OIL SPILL: WAS IT DUE TO EQUIPMENT FAILURE? COMMUNITY &#8211; YES, SHELL &#8211; NO"},"content":{"rendered":"<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Oil spewing from equipment belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has ravaged parts of Tein-Biseni environment, Biseni, Yenagoa Local Government Area.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">A report compiled by the Environmental Right Action\/Friends of the Earth (ERA\/FoE), showed that while Shell believed the spill was caused by sabotage, other stakeholders including regulators and the community argued it resulted from equipment failure.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The report, compiled by ERA\u2019s state Representatives, Mr. Akpotu Ziworitin and Alagoa Morris, described the spill, which occurred on August 11 as massive.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The Auditor of the Community Development Committee (CDC) Clinton Beworu Amaoru confirmed that the spill occurred at\u00a0<span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_2138360306\"><span class=\"aQJ\">2pm<\/span><\/span>\u00a0but said since the incident, Shell had not reached out to the landlords of the environment.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0\u2018\u2019The cause of spill is equipment failure. And it occurred right at the Well Head, Adibawa North East, location1, Atumatu. Atumatu is the name of the lake in the environment and, it is identified with the facility. The body of water in the impacted environment is a swamp that connects the lake\u2019\u2019.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Amaoru confirmed that after the spill, Shell officials and government representatives visited the area but failed to agree on the cause of the incident.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">He said: \u201cShell argued that the spill was caused by sabotage, but the government officials said the cause was due to Shell\u2019s equipment which failed\u2019.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cWhen they went for inspection our family was not actually informed and represented officially. But what happened was this, there is a contractor who is bearing the same surname with us; the Amaoru families.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cThat very contractor was with the Shell officials; but the landlord family was not officially invited to be part of the inspection visit. Although the contractor is our family member; he is a contractor to Shell. So, I am not sure if that visit could be interpreted as Joint Investigation Visit (JIV).\u2019\u2019<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">He lamented that the spill had destroyed aquatic lives, ponds, lakes, farmlands and economic trees and urged Shell to meet the impacted families in roundtable.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">But the report also quoted Shell\u2019s Spokesman, Mr. Precious Okolobo, as saying that the spill happened in an unproductive well.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Okolobo said: \u201cThe spill Incident occurred on August 11, from a well that has not been producing. We commenced recovery of spilled oil the following day but this was disrupted by community people who alleged this was an operational spill.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cHowever, during the joint investigation visit which held August 13 \u2013 17, it was clear that unknown persons had tampered with the well valve.\u00a0 The JIV report has yet to be signed off.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cThe community people have now agreed that SPDC should resume the recovery of spilled oil. SPDC will continue to operate with a high sense of responsibility for humans and the environment.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">However, ERA in the report said the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment faulted the claims of Shell and argued that the spill could not have been attributed to third party interference.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">In its recommendations, ERA in the report advised the oil giant to stop a divide-and-rule approach to reduce conflicts among families and communities.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">It appealed to Shell to treat a letter sent to it by the Awowaris, a famous family in the area, on the matter, adding that there was nothing wrong in according recognition to a host or landlord.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">ERA said: \u201cShell should not limit recovery and cleanup efforts to the immediate environment alone, but ensure that cleanup extends to wherever the crude oil has spread to. Proper cleanup should follow recovery of spilled crude oil.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The owners of the impacted environment, who has lost swamp fishing grounds, should not be made to suffer from the inconclusive JIV; they should be treated as folks who are seriously impacted by oil industry induced pollution.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/OIL-SPILL.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-15770\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/OIL-SPILL-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/OIL-SPILL-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/OIL-SPILL.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cIf necessary, they should be sent relief material, be carried along in all discussions and be adequately compensated for damages\/losses.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cThe concerned families should continue to be peaceful while they take all necessary steps to get this sorted out. Allowing Shell to carry on with recovery is in the best interest of the environment.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cAs long as the regulators: State Ministry of Environment (some) and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) are involved and have the details; the matter shouldn\u2019t be expected to be swept under the carpet.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cShell and the concerned families should be alert in terms of ensuring that this site does not go up in flames as often observed in some of Shell\u2019s spill impacted sites in the state\u201d. The Nation &#8211;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oil spewing from equipment belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has ravaged parts of Tein-Biseni environment, Biseni, Yenagoa Local Government Area. A report compiled by the Environmental Right Action\/Friends of the Earth (ERA\/FoE), showed that while Shell believed the spill was caused by sabotage, other stakeholders including regulators and the community argued it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":15770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[4088,2837,3164],"class_list":["post-15769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-beworu-amaoru","tag-erafoe","tag-shell-petroleum"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/OIL-SPILL.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-46l","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15769"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15771,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15769\/revisions\/15771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}