12/05/2005 - The Environment
Agency has prosecuted Wessex Labels Ltd for
causing large quantities of oil to leak from
a heating tank in Romsey Industrial Estate
and enter the River Test.
Wessex Labels Ltd appeared before New Forest
Magistrates Court on Tuesday 10 May 2005.
The company was fined £1,500 and ordered
to pay £1,500 costs for the offence
committed on 1 and 2 February 2004.
The court heard that on 1 February 2004 the
Environment Agency attended an incident at
Romsey after receiving reports of a diesel
smell coming from the River Test. The Environment
Officer went to the Romsey Industrial Estate
and, through investigations, discovered oil
leaking from the tank supplying heating oil
to the unit occupied by Wessex Labels Ltd.
The Environment Officer found that the sight
tube to the tank was bent over in an almost
horizontal position. Oil was pouring from
the tube which was outside the bunded area
of the tank and it was flowing across the
yard and into a nearby surface water drain.
The Officer turned off the screw tap to stop
the spill and arranged for a tanker to clear
the remaining oil.
Investigations showed that in the region
of 1,500 litres of oil from the tank entered
the stream that runs through the industrial
estate via the surface water drain. This oil
had travelled downstream before passing through
a fish farm and entering the River Test. The
River Test is a Site of Special Scientific
Interest with a drinking water abstraction
point at Testwood 7 kilometres downstream
of the spill. This abstraction was closed
for 13 hours whilst the extent of the spill
was investigated.
Wessex Labels Ltd confirmed that oil had
escaped from their tank via the bent sight
tube and in court claimed that "the company
was a victim as well as the environment because
of vandalism".
After the hearing, Environment Officer David
Martin, said:
"This incident narrowly avoided causing
significant damage to the stream, which ultimately
flows to the River Test. It was only due to
prompt action by the Environment Agency that
the oil was prevented from causing further
damage. Thankfully we were alerted to the
incident quickly by a vigilant member of the
public and so we were able to arrange a prompt
clean up operation.
"Vandalism is unfortunate but it is
a fact of life and the company has a responsibility
to maintain its property. The defendants knew
vandalism was a problem in the area and there
were simple and inexpensive measures that
the company should have taken to prevent an
incident like this. By fitting an inexpensive
spring loaded cut-off valve this sort of incident
could have been prevented."
The Magistrates took into account that it
was a first offence and that the company entered
an early guilty plea. In addition to the fine,
the company was required to pay over £2,000
in clean up costs.
