Almost half of the reported oil spills occurring in the Virgin Islands over a twenty-two (22) year period have been found to appear in the Road Harbour area, according to some of the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Cruise Pier Development Project as presented by Executive Director of Environmental Systems BVI, Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal. Photo: VINO

Section of the audience at the presentation. Photo: VINO

Section of the audience at the presentation. Photo: VINO

Section of the audience at the presentation. Photo: VINO

This is among some of the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Cruise Pier Development Project as revealed by Executive Director of Environmental Systems BVI, Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal.

In her presentation on August 22, 2013, Dr Titley-O’Neal said during the study, the number of oil spills was examined within the context of the water chemistry and pollution incidents. “We really looked at the number of oil spills that occurred between 1989 and 2011 and of the 188 reported oil spills in the BVI during that period, 43 percent of them are occurring in Road Harbour.”

In an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online Dr Titley-O’Neal said, “You already have an area that has a lot of boating activity, we already have pollution within that particular area, we can’t just make recommendations to the government based on one area. We have to look at it as a whole,” she said.

She questioned what might be the likelihood of an oil spill occurring then bearing in mind oil spills that occur at nearby marinas and other similar locations. The Executive Director said that the issue needed to be explored from a holistic view and not very closed minded.

She noted that specific recommendations were made within the EIA in order to mitigate the scenario of an oil spill, “When they are going to drive the piles, they have to put up a boom so that if there is an oil spill, the oil is contained within an area and there is a clean up,” she said.

She felt that with the installation of booms before piles are driven, the spread of an oil spill can be contained within a small area if it does eventually occur.