Date: Sun 15-Aug-1993 Paper Page: 18A Publication: sun Compiled by Julius Gittens IF ANOTHER oil spill should ever come to our shores or occur on land, ecologically important areas such as lagoons or mangrove swamps would get top priority in at least one oil company's local clean-up plan. Shell Antilles and Guianas Ltd. has commissioned coastal maps, showing all the areas which are most sensitive to damage from an oil spill. The five-month-old contingency plan deals with spills in all the eastern Caribbean countries in which Shell operates. The environmentally sensitive areas which would receive priority include fishing beds, bird nesting sites, salt marshes, mangroves, coral reefs, public beaches, and tourist areas. Barbados was the first eastern Caribbean country for which Shell has created the maps, which were prepared by environmentalist Susan Mahon. Lagoons and mangrove swamps are vital breeding grounds for fish and help maintain the health of reefs where fish feed and which act as a breakwater against beach erosion by waves. The mangroves' root system, for example, help to trap sediments from stormwater entering the sea which would otherwise smother and kill corals. All the oil companies in Barbados have their own contingency plans and spill control equipment, including oil-recovering tools, booms, anchors, and pumps. The spills are classified as: * Tier 1: Small spill of about 1-50 tonnes which can be cleaned up in a few days and would take about ten people at the depot to clean up. * Tier 2: Serious spill of 50-500 tonnes that can be cleaned up in two-three weeks by about 100 people. * Tier 3: Massive spill of over 500 tonnes, such as the Exxon Valdez's, needing a major response from experts and equipment outside the region. The Miami-based Clean Caribbean Co-operative may be called in to provide equipment, as well as the US Coast Guard, Shell International and regional organisations. |