GPS Coordinates of exact spill point: Elev: 19m, N 04°47.160’, E 005°58.568’
Occupation: Fishing and farming and the main occupation of the people

ERA/FoEN monitors visited Okpotuwari and Ondewari Communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following reports that a ruptured site reported to Agip is yet to be clamped by the company. Community folks alerted that the spill had spewed into the community swamps and that Agip only visited the site on 27th December 2011 and promised to return for clamping in 2012.
When ERA/FoEN monitors visited the communities on the 30th of December 2011 to verify the reports, community folks led the team to the site and gave the testimonies documented below:

TESTIMONIES FROM COMMUNITY
We cannot tell exactly when this oil spill happened along the 14-inch Ogboinbiri/Tebidaba pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company but when I heard of it I went to the site myself to witness it. After confirming that it was true, I called Agip directly, informing the company about the incident. I told Agip that delay on the part of the company would do us much harm, hence the need for them to take positive steps to come and stop the spill. The spill occurred from a valve along the pipeline, an area that was surrounded by a block wall on the ground. After informing the company, they sent one of their officials to come for initial inspection on 27th December 2011. After the confirmation, the Agip official told us they would return for clamping next week. We are still expecting them, though the time they promised coming back is not acceptable because the crude oil is still spewing into the swamps and ponds. This is when some of our people are bailing their ponds. And, we have positioned some community youths at the spill site to guard against any one going there to set the place ablaze or tamper with the spill point because we do not want Agip to make unnecessary excuses. We are interested in the actual cause of spill...Philip Odibo [Chairman, Community Development Committee]

You have seen with your eyes that the crude oil is still spewing into to our environment. Not only what you are seeing here [at the spill point], if we go into the bush now you will see heavy volume of crude oil in the swamp and surrounding farmlands. Now, the impact on the flora and fauna is better imagined than experienced. But, sadly, if you visit here later you will see that most of the trees would die off and even right now, impacted ponds and swamps will take several years to regain fecundity. We are calling on Agip to quickly come and stop this spill, clean up the impacted environment and carry out remediation. We are yet to know the cause of spill, but we believe it is a valve failure, hence we also expect adequate compensation from Agip...Tamuna Job [immediate past CDC Chairman of Okpotuwari community]

The spill occurred actually on our environment, and we even went to report the matter to Agip at the Wellhead close to us. It is a serious spill that has covered a vast expanse of the swamp, ponds and farmlands. We see no reason why Agip should delay in responding to this spill. Ordinarily, we expected the company to come at once to effect clamping. We are still waiting for them and we want to also know the cause of the spill because it occurred at their Control Valve along the pipeline. I hope Agip will behave responsibly this time around by following up clamping with clean up, remediation and compensation. There are spill sites that Agip is yet to clean up in our environment and, this is very wrong. Environmental groups like ERA/FoEN should continue to assist us in this regard, to ensure that the right thing is done...Gilbert Sanga [acting community leader of Ondewari community

We, the youths of Okpotuwari community are here guarding this spill point to ensure that nothing happens here until Agip and other stakeholders come for Joint Inspection Visit and clamping of the leaking spot. We are doing this because of past experiences. In the past, people would either come and set fire on the impacted site or even tamper with the point of spill and then the company would label the spill as sabotage. As a result we are doing shifts, morning; afternoon and night…people are always here to guard the place. The spill has gone far into the bush, away from Agip’s right-of-way. …When we first came here few days ago, the crude oil was spraying high into the air...Clinton Mattew [Local Vigilante Chairman]

Others who confirmed the above testimonies include: Christian Tiger [Secretary, Okpotuwari community], Michael Joseph and Joel Keke [deputy paramount chief of Okpotuwari community].

OBSERVATION/CONCLUSION
The sound of something boiling was the first thing that the visitor to the spill site will first hear as he/she appears on the pipeline close to the leaking spot. And, the next thing is seeing the raging spill, bubbling and spewing. The youths guiding the site were with machete. They led ERA’s and other community folks round to other impacted sites in the bush and explained that it has even gone further.
From the way the crude was gushing out from the block fence on the ground, ERA’s field monitors could say with some measure of accuracy that no less than a barrel of crude oil was being spewed into the environment every minute of the day. And, if this estimate is correct [plus or minus], it means 60 barrels of crude oil going into the environment every one hour, making it about 1440 barrels per day. The total quantity of crude oil volume so spewed for the two weeks or so that the spill has continued will be calculated from this perspective. Agip should not be allowed to eat its cake and have it; deliberately allowing the spill to continue. Oil companies are fond of under estimating spilt crude. This should not be allowed. The act perpetrated by Agip in this case does not only displayed acts of Corporate irresponsibility, it smacks of environmental racism and double standards; because Agip cannot do this is Italy or in the environment of any other advanced nation.

ERA DEMANDS
1    Agip immediately clamp the spill site
2    Community folks continue to guard the spill site to prevent any acts that could cause the spill point from erupting in flames
3    Community folks remain non-violent and allow Agip access to the spill site for clamping when the company comes
4    Agip stop this double standard of environmental safety in their operations in the Niger Delta. The company should apply known international best practices and promptly respond to incidents of spill with a view to minimizing damage to the ecosystem.
5    Relevant government agencies hold Agip responsible for negligence and ensure proper penalties imposed on the company.
6    Agip carry out proper recovery of spilt crude, clean up and remediate impacted environment as well as pay adequate compensation to victims of this spill.

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