Senate Orders Probe Into Oil Spill, Fire Outbreak In Rivers

Senate Orders Probe Into Oil Spill, Fire Outbreak In Rivers

THECONSCIENCE NG  reports that Senate on Thursday directed an urgent investigation into the cause of a recent fire outbreak and oil spill from Manifold Well 8/ Bug 008 in OML 18, Buguma area of Rivers State.

This followed a motion raised by Senator Harry Banigo representing Rivers West in the National Assembly.

In a resolution passed during plenary, the upper chamber mandated swift action to address the environmental and humanitarian impacts on affected communities.

The Senate ordered the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct an immediate investigation and submit a report within four weeks.

It also directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC OML 18 Ltd.) to send emergency response teams to assess the situation, carry out remediation measures, and fulfill its corporate social responsibility obligations.

Furthermore, the committees on Environment and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) were tasked with evaluating oil operators’ compliance with environmental regulations, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act.

The committee is also expected to recommend necessary actions such as shutting down the affected well, initiating cleanup efforts, and ensuring full environmental restoration.