Multi-national oil company,
Conoco Phillips Ltd and the operator of
a Plymouth fuel distribution depot were
today ordered to pay more than £44,400
in fines and costs after nearly 80,000 litres
of petrol leaked from a terminal and polluted
groundwater
The case was brought
by the Environment Agency.
On July 17, 2007 SGS
(UK) Ltd reported that unleaded petrol was
leaking from a storage tank at the Mayflower
Terminal beside the Plym estuary. Tests
revealed the fuel had leaked outside the
terminal and contaminated adjoining premises.
Nearby ground was ‘saturated’ and smelt
strongly of petrol.
The incident was classed
as ‘Critical’ by the Police and Fire Service
after they arrived at the terminal and were
told the size of the spill. On July 25,
2007 the site was closed by the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) after petrol vapour
was detected in the terminal control room.
The leak was traced
to a hole in the base of one of the main
storage tanks. A significant amount of petrol
seeped into the ground beneath the tank.
Approximately 36,000 litres of spilled fuel
was recovered from the terminal and neighbouring
premises by a specialist contractor brought
in by Conoco Phillips Ltd.
The same contractor
constructed a series of trial pits and boreholes
that showed the ground beneath the terminal
was heavily contaminated with fuel. Petrol
was also detected in a limestone aquifer
immediately beneath the site.
The Conoco Phillips
terminals at Mayflower and Cattedown Wharf
handle between 56 – 60 million litres of
fuel per month. Petrol, diesel, gasoil and
kerosene arrives by ship and is stored at
the terminals before distribution. The Mayflower
site lies within a former limestone quarry.
Magistrates heard that
in addition to the pollution, the incident
raised concerns for public safety because
of the risk of fire or explosion.
‘This was a major spill
involving tens of thousands of litres of
fuel that had a serious impact on groundwater
and the surrounding environment. The site
will have to undergo costly monitoring for
some time to track the spread of pollution
in the underlying bedrock and groundwater,’
said Sarah Taylor for the Environment Agency.
‘This type of pollution
incident is avoidable. Terminal owners and
operators must ensure storage tanks and
other equipment are regularly checked and
maintained and, in the event of a spill,
all the correct procedures are followed
so as to minimise any impact on the environment.
It also makes business sense because it
avoids expensive pollution clean-up operations
and monitoring after the event,’ said Sarah
Taylor.
Conoco Phillips Ltd
was today fined £16,000 and ordered
to pay £3,373 costs by Plymouth magistrates
after pleading guilty to, on July 17, 2007,
causing unleaded petrol to enter controlled
waters at the Mayflower Terminal, Cattedown,
Plymouth, an offence under Section 85(1)
of the Water Resources Act 1991. The site
operator, SGS (UK) Ltd were fined £20,000
and ordered to pay £5,000 costs for
the same offence.
