"These spills are a wake-up call to government and it is now time for them to show some real leadership to ensure proper procedures are being followed," said Barrett. "There are a lot of unanswered questions and we need to get full information on why these spills are suddenly occurring more frequently."

Wednesday in the House of Assembly the Liberal MHA asked a series of questions about the Spill. "It is important that we know that the prevention, recovery and clean-up procedures are adequate to protect our precious marine ecosystems.

"I have some very serious concerns with reports that have stated it is virtually impossible to recover oil and do a cleanup in three metre seas, which is the average in the winter months. We have learned that there is no ability to clean up oil spills for eight months of the year. This is a very serious deficiency and it should be addressed by the Minister of the Environment and Conservation."

Barrett says the deficiencies in dealing with an offshore spill have caused him to question the Minister about the response plan which is in place for a tanker related oil spill in Placentia Bay. "With the Whiffen Head transhipment facilities and the Come By Chance refinery located at the head of Placentia Bay, we must be very cautious. The Minister has a responsibility to see that such a plan is put in place and that there are no gaps. We can’t wait for another ecological disaster to occur to find out that we are not prepared."