Barbados   Burst aviation pipeline 

On Barbados, an island in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of Venezuela, Shell operates a seven mile long aviation fuel pipeline. The pipelines runs from Oistins depot across the fertile farmlands of Barbados to the airport. The pipeline first burst in 1995 and then again in 2003 with several smaller leaks in between.
It is estimated that 300,000 gallons of jet fuel has leaked from the pipeline into the land and groundwater. Farmers have been losing crops and revenue for numerous years due to the presence of hydrocarbons in the irrigated water, without properly being compensated by Shell. The contamination is still not contained and appears to be spreading towards the coastline. If the contamination continues to spread, it could show up on Barbados’ beaches and coral reefs, which could have a catastrophic impact on Barbados’ primary industry, tourism.