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www.sxmislandtime.com
 PHILIPSBURG - A press conference was held on Monday afternoon at which time GEBE chief of operations at the power plant Mr. Kenrick Chittic, gave an explanation for last weeks oil leak from the power plant that contaminated the Cape Bay Beach.
In his explanation Chittic stated that the company realised that their waste oil handling system was overloaded with oil at approximately 6:30am last week Thursday.
The waste oil handling system consist of two big holding tanks which should normally be filled with %90 water and %10 oil which is then skimmed from the top.
He stated that there is a problem with the handling system as it became overloaded with too much fuel and waste oil which passed through a water passage, making its way to a pit and then to the sea.
The oil spill was first discovered by the shift personnel of the company, after which action to stop the spill Chittic stated on Monday. The system was shut down and the pit blocked to prevent the oil from going into the sea.
Over the past years, GEBE has taken steps to minimise the possibility of an oil spill. A new system to prevent and contain a possible oil spill is now being considered.
This will entail the building of two walls into the sea on both sides of the GEBE property leading to the sea and the placement of a fixed containment boom in the sea.
This he says will prevent spilled oil from making its way beyond the containment boom. If the oil is too much for GEBE to handle, the oil will be shipped to Trinidad for processing Chittic stated.
He told members of the press that the community should not that GEBE did not spill the oil on pourpose, but it was due to an system malfunction. All measures are also being taken to prevent this he stated.
The staff of the power plant he stated, is well trained to to handle the system and prevent leaks. The security firm of the company also provides regular patrols to monitor the probabillity of an oil spill.
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