Bayelsa Government on Tuesday commenced a clean-up oil spill sites in the state at Kalaba Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking at the site operated by Agip, Mr Iniruo Wills, Commissioner for Environment, said the state was collaborating with a German environmental group on the project.

He said that the pilot clean-up project was started off in Kalaba community one of the communities with the most frequent oil spill incidents in the state.

He noted that Bayelsa environment remained the most polluted in the Niger Delta region and said that the clean-up exercise will be extended to other polluted sites in the next phase.

The commissioner explained that the Ministry was conducting the clean-up on a test basis with new organic material that absorbs crude oil on water and marshy terrain.

According to him, One Earth, One Ocean, the Munich, Germany-based Non Governmental Organization (NGO), had donated the Polymer based Chemical and Oil binder for trial purposes.

“We are conducting this pilot clean-up test with the materials provided by the German Environmental group in consultation with National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency.

“The German NGO is providing the polymer based absorbent binder to be tested by the oil spill agency on oil polluted water, we have seen demonstration of the material at presentations but today we had it tested on a spill site.

“We are going to continue the test at other oil polluted sites in subsequent phases, our aim is to have a cleaner environment, that is why we are supporting this effort,” Wills stated.

Founder of One Earth, One Ocean, Mr Gonnter Boniv said that the organisation is embarking on the initiative to ensure a cleaner world.

“The water bodies are open and pollution here in Nigerian waters eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean and ends up polluting the whole world, the Oceans cover the entire earth. We do hope that the test is successful so that we can continue the clean-up of oil polluted sites on a larger scale,” Boniv said.

Paramount Ruler of Kalaba Community, Chief Roman Orukali, said that the project was a welcome development.

“We have had several spill incidents that had polluted our waters and farmlands with no clean up, so we commend the Bayelsa Government and German NGO for selecting our community for the pilot project.

“We want them to continue as it will help us recover valuable farm lands, from what we have seen today the material is quite effective and we urge them to continue this project,” Orukali said. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov Dickson

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