By: Staff Writer
December 21, 2020
U.S. Representative warns Bahamian government to not allow Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) to drill for oil in Bahamian waters, citing fears of “catastrophic” impact it they do.
Alcee Hastings, U.S. representative for Florida’s 20th congressional district, in a letter sent to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis along with his minister for the environment, Romauld Ferreria, said: “We write regarding the Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) offshore drilling project, the Perseverance No. 1 oil well, off the coast of The Bahamas. We believe you should reconsider the agreement established between your government and BPC to protect the beauty and longevity of our fragile and shared ecosystems, the economies that depend on them, and the future of our planet.”
“As coastal and near-coastal Members of Congress, we have long fought to prevent oil spills, but the success of this work is directly dependent on the cooperation of other states, our federal government, and nearby nations. We and countless Americans remember the devastation and loss of life caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, for which Florida continues to require restoration funding. That well, similar to that which BPC plans to bore, claimed 11 lives and spewed more than 200m gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, destroying whole ecosystems and halting tourism and fisheries across the region. It has become clear that oil companies such as BPC have every intention to plow ahead despite red flags, which warn of the grave health, natural disaster, and environmental risks of drilling.”
Environmentalists are up in arms over the drilling too and have even threatened to apply for a court injunction, despite BPC having an iron-clad agreement signed by the previous Progressive Liberal Party administration to drill for oil.
Dr Minnis has said that he welcomes the opponents to oil drilling and that it is “not his dream“, despite if he decides not to allow BPC to continue with their exploratory work it may cost the government of The Bahamas millions of dollars in compensation.
Mr Hastings added: “Should BPC’s project move forward, we will be justified in fearing that the Atlantic coast is at risk of severe, even catastrophic, impact from any spills that might occur – essentially undermining the recent offshore drilling ban extension from President Trump, and future offshore drilling restrictions. It is unclear whether BPC has the capacity to help mitigate a serious disaster, let alone prevent one in the first place. Should a calamitous event occur, the Bahamian government and BPC’s clean-up efforts will undoubtedly require financial assistance from neighbors, including the United States, to address any spill that would spread throughout domestic and international waters. For perspective, Deepwater Horizon cost an estimated $65bn to clean up and the effects have yet to be fully alleviated. What’s worse, the ship that is set to begin drilling has a track record of safety issues on previous jobs, including incidents in March 2016, September 2016, and October 2017.
“Unfortunately, we believe the agreement reached between BPC and the Bahamian government is directly contrary to the urgent call made at the United Nations just last year. In that speech, Prime Minister, you cited the contribution carbon emissions have made to the climate crisis and the devastating impacts this crisis continues to have on island nations like The Bahamas, including those wrought by Hurricane Dorian, rising sea levels, and natural barrier degradation. These events are felt deeply by Americans and communities around the world, and expanding offshore drilling is fundamentally against their interests.”
“We stand ready to work with your government to fight the climate crisis, a looming mass-extinction event, and oil and gas interests that seek only to profit off activities that truly put our respective communities at great risk. The health of our constituencies, oceans, and planet hinges on what actions we take here and now.”
BPC’s drilling ship, the Stena IceMax arrived in The Bahamas last week and is preparing to spud the first well imminently.