Rio Claro family threatens to sue Heritage over old oil well

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A Rio Claro family has taken legal action against Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd for nuisance and negligence over a leaking abandoned oil well in their chicken coop, forcing them to relocate for an extended period of time.

On April 22, lawyers for Veronica Findley-Belle, 72, her 75-year-old husband Aldwyn Belle, their daughter Patrice Belle-Guischard, their son-in-law James Guischard and their 84-year-old relative Shirley Blackie sent a pre-action protocol letter to the company and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industry.

Attorney Devi Ramnarine of Magnus Chambers said the abandoned well had been on the family’s property on Tabaquite Road in Rio Claro since her father bought the property in the 1960s.

In September 2023, the family contacted the company and the ministry after noticing smoke coming from the pit, which is located in their chicken coop.

After tests were done on site, the family was advised to move temporarily. They were offered a beach house in Mayaro and a hotel in San Fernando, but because of their jobs and their children’s school, they opted for a hut in a water park near their home. Initially the agreement was for a two-week stay.

The letter also stated that they had to give up their chickens, livestock and trees because of the leaking well.

“The loss of use of their property and the uncertainty of what happened next caused the intended claimants to feel severe anxiety, fear, hopelessness, discomfort and general mental distress.”

Work on the building continued in January 2024. A crack appeared in the side of the family’s home and the tiles in the living room began to lift, the letter said.

Ramnarine’s letter stated that the family suffered discomfort, loss and mental distress due to their displacement for 168 days, and that the move caused health problems for some of them. They finally returned home on March 16.

The letter proposes that a joint appraiser or expert assess estimated home repairs, crop and livestock losses, loss of income and therapy. The letter also states that testing continues to be carried out on site to confirm the property is safe.

“Therefore, the intended intended claimants remain in a state of fear and confusion as there is no final assurance that the danger and risks associated with the abandonment work at the leaking oil well have been removed from their properties.”

The letter was also copied to the Environmental Management Authority so that tests can be carried out to ensure the area is safe, the letter said.