Mark Micallef
Massive fuel spill kept secret for a week
The entrance to Enemalta's Wied Dalam plant in Birżebbuġa.
Two Enemalta employees were suspended and their manager put on forced leave following a massive spill of aviation fuel at the corporation's Wied Dalam plant in Birżebbuġa, which was kept under wraps for over a week.
Around 31 tons of aviation fuel, estimated to cost around €28,216 were spilled into the Birżebbuġa valley from an underground storage facility there during a fuel transfer from another installation not too far from the valley.
The corporation said in a statement yesterday evening that the staff manning the plant immediately initiated standard operating procedures to contain the spill and recover the fuel, and that there is no longer a risk of further spillage.
However, when contacted by the Times, hydrologist Marco Cremona says contamination of water in these cases is gauged in milligrams, which means that despite the clean-up, a spill of this scale presents a huge potential for contamination of the aquifer, particularly considering that the facility is underground.
On this point, Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter said the corporation did not have an assessment of the environmental damage caused by the spill but that it would form part of an investigation that was launched yesterday.
The news of the spill was kept from the corporation's top management for the entire week and the chairman himself found out only yesterday afternoon, after the manager filed a detailed report of the whole incident. The information was relayed to Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt, who ordered the suspension of the employees and that Enemalta informs the pertinent authorities.
The manager, Mr Tranter said, has not been suspended but was sent home and asked to prepare a detailed report on why it took him a week to report the matter further up the ladder.
"The manager, who had nothing to do with the actual spill, followed the corporation's procedure but felt that he should first investigate the matter thoroughly and establish exactly what happened before reporting the matter. I view that as a serious shortcoming, which is why I have asked for this report," he said.
The investigation will include an assessment of the environmental damage caused to the area and the possible remedial actions. "But besides investigation, I'm sure that the authorities concerned will be directing us in this respect," he said. The Malta Resources Authority, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the Water Services Corporation were contacted.
Mr Cremona said that coming on the periphery of the aquifer, the spill could potentially also be pushed out to sea, in Pretty Bay or the rest of the coast. As for the contamination of the water, Mr Cremona would not be drawn into saying how much time it could take to clear the contamination but said that authorities would need to flush the aquifer until the last milligrams of contamination are removed.
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In Discussion
24 Comments
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Ethelbert Schembri
Aug 25th 2008, 15:42
Why should anyone resign or get fired ?
Can it be a malfunction or a breakdown of the equipment ?
The accident happened on an old site with old equipment so it can be lots of things . There are lot of people out there that think that they are jurors and judges that fire sentences of decapitations without any knowledge .
There is a professional inquiry going on to determine what happened so leave it to them .
M Xuereb
Aug 24th 2008, 17:48
John Scerri hit the nail on the head with his very pertinent questions on the issue. It is indeed worrying that such an incident involving mass contamination - not to mention the expense incurred - should occur in the first place, but that it should be kept under wraps for one whole week is abominable! This in itself justifies the employees' suspension until a proper investigation be carried out into the hows and wherefores of the case. A call for the resignation of a chairman, who was only informed a week later about the event, is surely superfluous.
Steve Rogers
Aug 24th 2008, 15:01
Accidents can happen but cover-ups should not! MEPA and the other Authorities have an obligation to investigate this matter and inform the public. They should not sit idle and let EneMalta perform anymore cover-ups. I may be wrong but this might fall under SEVESO II and the Commission should keep an over the matter.
Karl Abela
Aug 24th 2008, 12:12
@Charles Marsch & Kylie Debono:
Its a pity you didnt understand my comment. People usually read/listen and then talk. You do the opposite. Try again.
JOHN SCERRI
Aug 24th 2008, 10:22
I shall keep my comment to the case in question.
Fact.. 31 tons of fuel don't spill in 5 seconds.
Question:
Who was supervising the transfer operation ? Were the relevent precautions and checks taken and signed off ?
Quote :'The corporation said in a statement yesterday evening that the staff manning the plant immediately initiated standard operating procedures to contain the spill and recover the fuel, and that there is no longer a risk of further spillage.'
Were standard operating procedures activated only after and not before in order for no spill to occur -
'Recover the fuel ?? - will this be safe to refuel aircraft without any risk - are there any tests carried out according to standard procedures before one can state that this fuel is fit and safe for airliners carrying hundreds of people ? Shall Enemalta provide official written guarantees stating that recovered fuel is safe?
There is no excuse which can justify a delay of 1 week before reporting any incident and the environment.
Malta cannot afford any spill - our drinking water comes from RO plants and the sea.
What if they are shut down because of something like this ??
charles marsh
Aug 24th 2008, 09:48
@ karl Abela i can't understand some of you nationalists. What does this have to do with the MLP internal elections? Or is it the only thing you can talk about?
Kylie Debono
Aug 24th 2008, 09:33
@Karl Abela
Thallatx il-hass mal-qarabocc!!
Of course D Vella was right. He wasn't necessarily referring to your political masters, but then again how on god's blessed earth do you put a fuel spill on the same level as a political party internal election???????
People in the top post are paid to ensure that they manage their organization well. They should have the decency to step down. Professionalism calls for such instances when such gross incidents occur.
Karl Abela
Aug 24th 2008, 02:38
If D. Vella thinks that resignations for such issues should start at the top why didnt Joseph Muscat resign when such a mistake like Jason Micallef was re elected? Daft propostion isn't it? So are you D. Vella. You are going to have to wait longer until the desired government benches are a vacated.
philip pace
Aug 23rd 2008, 09:46
Welcome to the circus,
Of course it is the workers fault. They always get the blame while the management is never at fault as some of them have got relatives, friends and past associates that would absolve them.
The Dockyard is the prime example.
Who knows what has happened here? Maybe there is a great lack of facilties, tools, top know how and the greatest sin of them all LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS.
We shall see what would be the outcome as it would take about three months for "REPORT" to be laid on the ministers' desk and the outcome would be obvious.
And as usual the citizens of this Banana Republic would pay the expence.
Rotten and stuffed bananas for the citizens,
Franco Farrugia
Aug 22nd 2008, 22:26
@ Dave Barb - Indeed, Mr Barb, 'better learn'.
'Better learn'!!!!!!!
Dave Barb
Aug 22nd 2008, 21:36
The perdon that will do nothing, doesnt makes any mistakes, although he is doing the worst mistake, oing nothing. Are you all experts in fuel section? Do you know what a person must do and what might go wrong while fuel is transfered from an installation to another? Better learn before starting pointing fingers.
Edward Zammit
Aug 22nd 2008, 21:35
OK accident or not, ( negligence more likely, but anyways) I hope that the losses are not going to be compensated from tax payers' money.
Once a very powerful leader said that it is every person's right to make a mistake, but it is his obligation to repair that mistake.
Joe Morana
Aug 22nd 2008, 17:49
Forget about "do not judge", or "accidents happen". How can the entire management chain not have detected a shortfall of 31 tons of Aviation Fuel in Enemalta's reporting procedures. A cover-up seems plausible under these circumstances. Besides, E910.19 per ton sounds cheap when one considers today's prices. What will it cost to clean up the mess, and to replace the fuel? Heads should roll, no doubt about it.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 22nd 2008, 17:26
@ Mr David Grech - Good points you mention - I would agree with them completely were it not for the fact that, forgive me, in this country, I get that gut feeling that 'facts are not allowed to speak'.
Don't you get that feeling yourself?
c. camilleri
Aug 22nd 2008, 15:16
Yes accidents do happen.But why did it take those concerned a week to report the matter. Early report would have avoided much damage. If this is found to be due to indifference or negligence or some other reason those responsible should get what they deserve.
D Fenech
Aug 22nd 2008, 15:14
@ Mathew Brincat
With all due respect.
God does not judge!
And to query/ form an opinion and expect answers is part of the democratic process.
This incident is a serious one with long lasting repercusssions.
D Fenech
Aug 22nd 2008, 15:09
Ok very good. This statement answers some of my questions earlier and prove they were justified.
The news bulletins yesterday stated that ther was no cause for alarm.
I would rather say there is no cause for panic but we should not bury our heads in the sand.
Many,many families with small children live and swim in the area.
David Grech
Aug 22nd 2008, 14:43
Come on Guys! Put yourself in their shoes. Could it be a genuine costly mistake? it can, was it due to negligence? if yes, thats when i personally would start firing people out to pay for their responsibility but not accuse beforehand.
We are so good at pointing fingers in this country. let facts speak and then pass your judgments.
Tim Ganado
Aug 22nd 2008, 13:26
Without getting into the merits of the case, all accidents and incidents be they Health & Safety or Environmental should be reportable to the Health and Safety Authorities as soon as practicable by Law.
Adrian Cardona
Aug 22nd 2008, 12:57
@ Matthew Brincat
Yes, accident do happen, no one is questioning that. What is wrong is trying to cover it up, and that is the reason for the suspension.
Stephen Saliba
Aug 22nd 2008, 11:29
What worries me more is that no official warning has been issued with regards to possible contamination of drinking water. I share D. vella's concern. (David, at the end of the day it is mostly the underlings that are exposed to 'work' and the possibility of these things happening. Top brass et al never find themselves in similar situations so only underlings are made to resign etc. Typical of the local scene)
Matthew Brincat
Aug 22nd 2008, 11:19
dont start judging like Gods, accidents can happen to everybody
D.Vella
Aug 22nd 2008, 11:15
In most Countries resignations start at the top.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 22nd 2008, 09:30
So, a week later and the general public is still without a plausible step-by-step report about what actually happened.
The manager was not suspended; the two workers were. Without entering into the merits of the case, because 'facts' still have to 'come out' (my inverted commas), I sincerely hope that it is not a question of the bottom-line workers being the scapegoats of a general state of inefficiency!