Pollution Incident Response Seminar: Prince Of Wales Bay Diesel Spill Case Study Alex Woodward GCC Jo Goudie & Tony Port EPA
Where ideas happen Overview On Thursday 17 th September 2015 • complaints were received about an ‘orange chemical substance’ in the water at POW Bay. GCC EHO’s attended onsite immediately • and investigated the issue.
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Where ideas happen Overview Cont. Officers detected a strong petroleum • odour and immediately took a sample and sent it to the lab for analysis. The lab report was received the following • day advising that the sample exhibited a profile that is similar to Diesel.
Where ideas happen Lab Report
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. During the initial inspection GCC Officers • immediately contacted the EPA to advise of the spill. Council’s Stormwater Investigation Officer was also called on for assistance. EHO’s then proceeded to a petrol station • adjacent to the spill to investigate. No signs of a recent spill. •
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. Council’s SW crew then began lifting • manhole lids across the Brooker Hwy in an attempt to trace the source.
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Where ideas happen Overview Cont. EPA & GCC then decided to call TasFire to • assess the risk of fire/explosion. Two fire crews attended onsite within • minutes. Tests were conducted at several locations.
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Where ideas happen Overview Cont. TFS officers used a device to detect the • levels of potentially explosive gas build up in the stormwater pipes. All tests confirmed the levels were too low • to present any dangers.
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. EPA & GCC officers then agreed that the • best option would be to flush the lines using stormwater held in a storage tank in Gormanston Rd.
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. Decision made due to the following • factors: • Bunding of the stormwater outlet would not have achieved a high level of success due to winds increasing in the area. Tide was going out. • • Appeared that the majority of the spill had already made its way into the bay.
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. Council Officers continued to lift the manholes • along Derwent Park Road and side streets. Odour continued to be detected past • Gormanston Road, but investigations could not continue due to manholes being within the roadway & peak-hour traffic.
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. The EPA and GCC released a media statement • in the following days. Officers continued to investigate a number of • businesses in the following weeks. Unfortunately the source is still unknown. •
Where ideas happen Overview Cont. Diesel dissipated quickly over the next 24 hrs •
Where ideas happen Outcomes Develop a Standard Operating Procedure • (SOP).
Where ideas happen Create a ‘grab bag’. •
Where ideas happen Purchase Spill Kit - Oil & Fuel on Water • Source: Perth Petroleum Services
Where ideas happen Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the Glenorchy City Council Staff, EPA Staff & TFS Staff who were involved in the incident.
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