A lawyer representing Indonesian and East Timorese fishermen is in Canberra today pushing for a full scientific investigation into the impact of the 2009 Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea.
Considered one of Australia’s worst environmental disasters, the Montara well, owned by PTTEP Australasia, spilled millions of litres of oil into the sea off the Kimberley coast, during the months it took to stop the leak.
The oil slick is understood to have never reached Australian shores, but Indonesian fishermen claim the spill killed thousands of fish, polluted waters and even caused skin diseases for some people.
Audio: Calls for an investigation into the impact of the 2009 Montara oil spill (ABC Rural)
Lawyer, Greg Phelps, says the Indonesian Government has given him its support to represent the fishermen.
“What we’re asking for, is that the Australian Government ensures the necessary scientific investigation is carried out to determine how far this oil reached into Indonesian waters and the effect of it,” Mr Phelps said.
“It’s really unproven and unknown exactly how far the oil got and what damage it’s done.
“The first order of business is to actually get up there and take sampling in the water and in the mangrove mud and the sediments around the corals to find out how far this oil got and then try and assess what damage it’s done to the environment and the economy.”
In a statement from PTTEP Australasia to ABC News, it says it’s aware of the claims the 2009 incident negatively impacted West Timorese fishing and seaweed farming communities, “but to date, we have not received any credible evidence that oil from Montara caused damage to the environment in West Timor”.
“Independent studies published by the Australian Department for the Environment found that 98 per cent of Montara oil stayed in Australian waters,” it said.
“The Montara Environmental Monitoring Program showed there was no long term damage to the marine environment, notably at various reefs and shoals in Australian waters closest to Montara.
“PTTEP has not recently been contacted by the Government of Indonesia in relation to this matter. We have been consistently willing to engage with the Government of Indonesia to address these claims.
“We have always acted cooperatively and in good faith in our past discussions with the Government of Indonesia, and we will continue to do so.”
In 2012, PTTEP Australasia pleaded guilty to charges under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act and was fined $510,000.
2014 ABC