ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius – The Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) is monitoring the large-scale cleanup operation at the GTI terminal on St. Eustatius. According to the inspectorate, approximately 19,000 barrels of fuel oil leaked from a product pipeline during the July 21 incident. A combination of a technical malfunction and human error has been identified as the preliminary cause.
The newly confirmed quantity closely matches earlier estimates reported by BES Reporter, which placed the volume at between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels. The ILT has now officially reported that approximately 19,000 barrels of fuel oil were released.
The leak occurred while preparations were underway to transfer the fuel oil to a vessel. The oil flowed into containment basins specifically designed to capture spilled products and prevent them from spreading across the terminal or reaching the sea and surrounding natural areas.
According to the ILT, residents, employees and the environment were not exposed to any immediate danger. The fuel oil reportedly remained within the designated containment facilities and did not flow towards the sea or nearby natural areas. No toxic vapours were released, and fuel oil is not considered highly flammable.
Major cleanup operation underway
Liquid fuel oil is currently being removed using vacuum trucks and temporarily stored in a tank. Oil and contaminated material that cannot be pumped out are being placed in drums or containers. Contaminated soil is being excavated and stored in containers for removal from the island as soon as possible.
GTI reportedly notified the ILT immediately by telephone and later submitted a written incident report, as required under its operating permit. The ILT subsequently informed the Public Entity St. Eustatius about the incident. GTI also notified the crisis coordination team of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Cause and GTI response under investigation
Although the ILT says no oil reached the sea or surrounding natural areas, the scale of the incident remains substantial. The inspectorate is therefore monitoring both the cleanup and the investigation into how a technical malfunction combined with human error resulted in the release of 19,000 barrels of fuel oil.
The ILT is scheduled to visit St. Eustatius from September 7 to 11 for a previously planned joint inspection with the Netherlands Labour Authority and the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region. The incident, its suspected causes and the measures taken by GTI by that time will be high on the agenda.
The coming weeks should provide greater clarity about how long the cleanup will take, how much contaminated soil and other waste must be removed from the island, and what measures will be required to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
Source: The BES Reporter ILT confirms scale of major GTI Statia oil spill: 19,000 barrels released - News of Bonaire, St. Eustatius & Saba
