Praised for oil spill response

PAGO PAGO – American Samoa is emerging as a model for other parts of the Pacific for fuel pricing and management and for oil spill response.

The Office of Petroleum Management’s Sione Kava says American Samoa is attracting the region’s attention because it has maintained secure fuel supplies and has the cheapest fuel.

Its fuel facilities are also in government hands, not fuel companies as happens in places.

Kava says the Pacific Community, the SPC, has endorsed the American Samoa model for neighbouring countries to follow.

The Pacific Islands Forum has put together a team to visit member countries to assess their system and see how they can be improved and Kava is included in the team.

He says the territory is also well ahead of the others in its ability to respond to oil spills.

Next year the Pacific Community will fund six participants from around the region to participate in the territory’s oil spill training programming. - RNZI

PACIFIC BRIEFS