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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 10 2012 06:20 | LAST UPDATED Feb 10 2012 06:20 |
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The water in the Blaauwpan Dam near OR Tambo International Airport -- contaminated when jet fuel was spilled in November -- is now clean, the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said on Thursday. "The latest tests conducted on water samples taken from the Blaauwpan Dam have indicated that the water is clear of any contamination," general manager at the airport Chris Hlekane said. The dam was contaminated when fuel was spilled into the storm-water system leading into the Blaauwpan Dam in November. Acsa was in the final stages of rehabilitating the dam after the incident. Hlekane said critical action was taken, starting with containing the spill within 12 hours of its occurrence. Intense clean-up operations were conducted and the fuel was systematically removed from the water, soil and in between reeds. He said plants that had fuel trapped in them were also removed completely from the site. Other clean-up steps included a soil-vapour survey, an organic-content evaluation and the sampling of soil to determine the extent of recovery and requirements for the remediation process. He said Acsa had spent about R6-million on clean-up operations relating to the fuel spill, and a further R50-million to date on systems to ensure that such incidents do not recur.  CONTINUES BELOW "We will continue to support the natural environment within which the dam operates beyond our comprehensive rehabilitation in the area that is expected to be complete within the next six months." He said, however, this was dependent on continuing monitoring and evaluation of environmental indicators, which could either shorten or prolong the rehabilitation process. "Acsa is committed to restoring the dam as close to its former state as possible," he said. -- Sapa TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
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