17/02/2006 - Roke Manor
Research Ltd was fined £7,000 and
ordered to pay additional costs of £3,920
at Lyndhurst Magistrates Court today for
an oil leak that polluted a tributary of
the River Test. The company, based in Romsey,
pleaded guilty to causing red diesel to
enter the groundwater at Roke Manor and
Greenhill Leat.
On the evening of 22 January 2005, a local
resident contacted the Environment Agency
to report oil in a tributary of the River
Test at Roke Manor. The same night, Roke
Manor Research Ltd reported that they could
see pools of oil in a nearby farmers field.
Environment Agency officers visited the
site and found red diesel in the river.
They also found that Roke Manor Research
had an oil storage tank in its grounds.
At that stage, the company hadn’t realised
it had lost any oil. The Environment Agency
advised the company to pressure test their
underground oil supply pipes. The investigation
found a section of pipe that was corroded
with a small hole that was likely to have
been leaking for some time.
During an interview, the Environment Agency
also learned that the oil storage equipment
had not been fully inspected or tested since
it was installed in March 1999. Environment
Agency guidance advises to have pipework
tested at least once every 5 years and to
secure pipework above ground where possible.
The oil leak caused contamination of the
Greenhill Leat, which is a tributary of
the River Test – a Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI). The Test is also a River
that provides drinking water for a large
number of people in the Hampshire area.
Stewart Smith, the Environment Agency Officer
who investigated the oil leak said:
"It’s good to see the courts taking
pollution of this unique watercourse so
seriously. The River Test supports an abundance
of water life and fish species that rely
on its excellent water quality for survival.
"We really cannot stress enough how
important it is that any home or business
with oil storage has their tank and pipe
work checked regularly and ensure that they
are compliant with the Oil Storage Regulations.
We would also recommend that people check
that insurance policies cover for environmental
clean up, as costs can often lead into thousands.
Leaking oil can have a devastating on the
Environment. If it contaminates drinking
water we could have serious water supply
problems on our hands – particularly in
the current drought."
Roke Manor Research Ltd were responsible
and proactive in their reaction to the incident
and followed advice from the Environment
Agency spending some £200,000 on clean
up costs to date.
