Free National Movement press conference, April 26th, 2015.
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(Statement: Nassau, Bahamas) The PLP Government
has once again betrayed the trust and failed the people of the Marathon
Constituency, and the people of the Bahamas. Prime Minister Christie and his
Cabinet Ministers have botched the handling of one of the worst health crisis
in recent times. There has been a total lack of concern, lack of
responsibility, lack of information, and lack of coordination. Why did the
Government conceal the contents of the Rubis Report for over a year? Why has the Minister of Health been silent
and the Prime Minister absent during this health crisis? While Cabinet
Ministers duck and dodge, and play the blame game, the Prime Minister who
claims to be a champion for the environment outside the country has remained
silent when disaster hits his own people.
Public Health Crisis in Marathon
The facts are
undeniable that the PLP Government was aware that the Rubis Robinson Road Fuel
Release Report revealed that the Rubis oil spill exposed hundreds of residents
and thousands of business owners, employees and customers to more than one
hundred chemicals that make up the substance we call gasoline, the most toxic
of these are the chemicals benzene, xylene and toluene. It is also undeniable
that the PLP Government was aware that the soil, well water used by some residents
for bathing and washing, and the air they breathed were contaminated by the
human carcinogen benzene, that causes cancer, specifically leukemia, damages a
woman’s reproductive organs, damages the immune system increasing the chance
for infections, and damages the lungs, brain and kidney. Benzene can pass from
a mother’s blood to her unborn child and effect even children even before they
are born. The reported exposure created a Public Health Crisis in marathon.
When did the Ministry of Health become aware of the crisis and why were none of
the protocols activated. The Minister of Health has yet to address the public
and residents on this health crisis.
Public Health Concerns of Residents
The report revealed
that residents expressed frustration back in 2013 in the PLP Governments
failure to communicate with them. Residents’ exposure by inhalation, ingestion
or contact to these toxic chemicals was at levels that are still unknown and
unmonitored. The opportunity for monitoring and risk reduction to persons was
deliberately denied. The Ministry of Health has been nonexistent in this health
crisis and chose not to monitor or medically assess all exposed persons from
the date of identification of this environmental disaster, there is now no way
to retroactively determine any individual’s net or total exposure. They have
provided no information, no testing, no warnings, no advice, and no treatment
for residents. The real crime committed was to allow individuals to remain in a
contaminated zone with ongoing toxic exposure, with no proper education, no
real option for patient specific risk assessment, or options for elimination of
exposure to the most vulnerable (children, elderly and pregnant women.) Two
years after the actual spill and more than one year after the PLP government
knew the cancer causing toxin benzene was in their soil, water and air, the
Ministry has yet to screen or test residents. Their reckless, callous and cruel
disregard for human life is simply inexcusable. On behalf of the residents of
Marathon I call upon the PLP Government to immediately begin the screening and
testing of residents, and implement proper warnings and health information for
residents to properly inform and protect themselves.
Lack of Ministerial Responsibility and
Coordination
Leadership is crucial
in a crisis. The PLP’s response to this health crisis has revealed a complete
lack of coordination between Ministers and Ministries. It appears that they
failed to communicate and are now blaming each other for their dereliction of
duty. Once again the country has been let down by Christie’s weak leadership,
only this time it may have costs the lives of Bahamians. The PLP Cabinet’s
behavior has been utterly shameful, and each response has been a slap in the
face to residents and the public. On behalf of the Marathon Residents I call
upon the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Health Minister of Education
and the Attorney General to apologize to each resident and resign forthwith!
The Prime Minister must immediately appoint a task force from a cross section
of Government Ministries to do what should have been done over a year ago.
The Free National
Movement demands the PLP Government immediately:
1.
Create a
multi-ministry task force to coordinate a proper response by the Government.
2.
Immediately
commence the communication program recommended in the Rubis Report to educate
residents on health risks.
3.
Fulfill
each and every recommendation by the Rubis Report and regularly report to the
Parliament, the residents of Marathon and the public on the progress.
4.
Immediately
begin public health screening and testing of residents.
5.
Provide
legal aid and free legal assistance to residents who wish to commence legal
action.
6.
Immediately
review present legislation and make necessary amendments to ensure that similar
spills are prevented.
7.
Create
and release to the public government policy and protocols for similar oil
spills.
8.
Commence the examination of all service
stations, oil – chemical storage facilities in the Bahamas, inclusive of BEC at Clifton , and its immediate environ to
determine if water, soil, or, air has been contaminated by dangerous chemicals.
9.
Immediately appoint an independent Commission
to publicly examine the issues surrounding the gasoline spill, and all
subsequent actions taken or not taken by Rubis and the Government of the
Bahamas.
10.The
Government in conjunction with WHO ( PAHO ) should as a part of their
provisions for health care for residents, ensure that the anxiety and fear
being experience is addressed immediately.
The people of
Marathon deserve better! The people of the Bahamas deserve better! The Free
National Movement will not rest until we restore trust and good governance to
our Bahamas!