ST JOHN’S, Antigua, June 2, 2026 – The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) says it has successfully contained a fuel oil seepage at the former Friars Hill Power Station and has significantly reduced environmental risks associated with the incident.

The utility issued an update on Tuesday following an emergency response that mobilized multiple government agencies and stakeholders after fuel oil was discovered leaking from a storage tank at the decommissioned facility.

APUA Public Relations Officer Trina Palacio said the utility moved quickly after identifying the seepage, engaging the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), the Antigua and Barbuda Fire Department, the Police Force, the Department of Environment, public health officials, the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) and other agencies.

“As soon as APUA would have realized exactly what is currently happening here, we would have engaged with the necessary and relevant authority figures,” Palacio told reporters at the site on Monday.

Initial containment efforts included covering affected areas with soil to absorb the fuel while authorities assessed the extent of the leak and any potential environmental impacts.

In a statement issued Tuesday, APUA said response teams worked late into the night to contain and manage the situation.

“All identified seepage areas have been successfully contained, while cleanup activities continue to progress,” the authority said.

APUA added that assessments conducted to date indicate there is currently no threat to nearby waterways and that environmental risks associated with the incident have been significantly reduced.

The utility said the next phase of operations will focus on the continued removal and proper disposal of materials used during the containment and cleanup process in accordance with environmental and public health protocols.

The incident has also raised questions about the management of fuel remaining at decommissioned facilities.

Minister responsible for APUA Melford Nicholas, who visited the site Monday, said he was unaware fuel was still being stored at the former power station.

“The best practice would have been to drain the tanks,” Nicholas said, noting that the facility had been decommissioned for some time.

Nicholas said the leak highlights the need for audits of decommissioned infrastructure to ensure hazardous materials are properly removed and facilities safely dismantled.

“We’re going to have to learn from this and complete, rapidly, the audits of other similar facilities,” he said.

The minister said residents living near the facility may have been affected by the odor from the spilled fuel and indicated that health officials were monitoring the situation. He added that government authorities would provide support should anyone require medical attention as a result of the incident.

Officials have not yet disclosed how much fuel escaped, what caused the seepage, or how long the fuel had remained stored at the former power station. APUA said investigations into the incident remain ongoing.