PetroSA says it is investigating an incident in which oily water from its Mossel Bay gas-to-liquid fuel plant spilled into a nearby river last month.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the parastatal also confirmed a sulphuric-acid spillage in December last year, but said the effects had been largely confined to the plant. It said the incident was caused by ”unusually heavy” rain on March 5, when an estimated 130mm fell over a 20-hour period.
”As a consequence of this exceptionally heavy rainfall, water overflowed from the plant’s oily water system into the plant’s storm-water system, which, in turn, overflowed into the adjoining Blinde River system,” it said.
It dispatched an environmental team to confirm the spillage and take water samples from the river, and notified authorities, including the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. It also set up a full investigation, focused on measures to avoid a recurrence. A report, to be ready by the end of this month, will be sent to the department and be available to the public.
Nothing like this had occurred before, PetroSA said.
The parastatal also acknowledged a spillage of sulphuric acid at the plant on December 27. It said this was the result of a sulphuric-acid line leak and failure of a drain valve.
”While low-pH water may have entered the Blinde River through the plant’s storm-water drainage system on this occasion, the spillage was largely contained on the plant’s property, and the impact on the Blinde River system was limited.
”The line has since been repaired and daily inspections of the line are now being carried out as a preventative measure.”
PetroSA said it prides itself on being environmentally responsible.
The issuing of the statement followed concerns raised by residents of a coastal development bordered on the west by the Blinde River.
Dirk Swart and Karin Gabanyi, who said they were writing on behalf of property owners at Moquini Estate, last week sent letters to the Eden municipality, the provincial environment affairs department and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
In the letters they said they were being kept in the dark by PetroSA, and that spillage had taken place ”over a long period of time”. They also said a March 23 visit to the plant offered by PetroSA was cancelled at the last minute, with no reason given. — Sapa