Pollution at 1770

[Lucky_Phill]

OK, to those who know, the Marina at 1770 has been selling fuel and the tanks into which this fuel is deposited are leaking, or one is leaking. The leak comes in a form of a " black sludge ". This leak can clearly be seen at low tide from the boat ramp, marina wall and car park.

The Marina is situated inside the GBRMPA Zone, making it a Marine Park. To have this sludge leaking directly into the creek system is NOT on.

Information at hand so far,

The tanks that were installed years ago were, at the time, second hand:

The owner of the Marina will not supply fuel spillage booms/ equipment:

A fuel supplier has refused to supply fuel to a unsafe, leaking tank, of which this one is: ( that is by law )

The Marina owner has sourced a new fuel supply company that appears not to adhere to the law concerning leaking tanks:

The EPA has now taken soil samples and are undertaking tests:

This leak has been evident for at least 2 years: >

The Miriam Vale shire council are the administering authority for the site :

Further, recent corrospondence from the EPA has enlightened me to the fact that, the Shire council are now aware of this matter and have assurances by the owner that he has undertaken steps to "minimise any additional hydrocarbons " from being released from the tank.

Minimize................forget minimize, how about S T O P !

How easy is it to pump out the sludge and pour a substance into the tank to stop the leak, immediately ????? > > >

Further, should the tanks require to be removed, it would mean demolishing the house that sits on top of the tanks. ( which I may add is on re-claimed land )

I will post a couple of pics here that alerted the EPA into a response. My other question is, " why was not something done nearly 2 years ago when this was first reported to the EPA " ??????

FYI, not connection is found between this leak and the fish kill a couple of weeks ago.

CHeers Phill

[Lucky_Phill]

Close up,,,,,,,yuk !

[Lucky_Phill]

And from the ramp

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

I have been going to Round Hill for 3 1/2 decades, and I can honestly say that this 'leak' has been there for a long time. My wife and I have both seen it, and smelt it, and about 4 years ago I reported this to the EPA.
As could be expected, nothing was done. Mr Marina continues to do as he likes as he has done for years and years.

I have even been anchored in the waterway at the southern end of the marina between the marina and shore. A distance of no more than 4 metres between my boat and the shore, and shoreward side of the port channel marker. Mr Marina has come down onto the end of the jetty and yelled and 'ordered' me to move my boat claiming that I am in a 'Shipping Channel". What a load of BS. He wanted me to move so that he could get his bloody LARCS back to shore.

Any wonder why so many tourists with their own vessels won't go back.

Having said that, he won't stop me, and I will be still going to that beautiful piece of paradise long after Mr Marina is eventually taken to task!

Cheers

Dave

[karana]

It is highly unlikely that such a large fish kill was caused by this problem.

[jim_farrell]

That was noted in the original post.

[steve_n]

Would the water be leaking into the tanks at high tide?
If so who would want to use fuel contaminated with salt water anyway. I hope the council makes him stop the leak immediately and prevents them being used again until he can show that they have been properly repaired or replaced to whoever inspects these things is satisfied.
IMO any development near the coast should be subject to major invironmental scrutiny. That crap isn't just leaking into their own back yard.

Steve

[squire31bris]

MY GOD! WHAT DO THE OWNERS THINK THEY ARE DOING? I HAVE WORKED 10YRS+ IN AUSSIE REFINERIES, FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT TO "CLEANING PETROCHEMICAL STORAGE FACILITIES. IN THIS TIME I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE RESULTS OF ENVIROMENTAL VANDALISM, AND I CAN SAY THAT ANY SPILLS, LEAKS OR UNNECESSARY LOSS OF CONTAINMENT CARRY EXTREMELY SEVERE PENALTIES!

THIS COULD EFFECTIVELY WIPE OUT THE FISH POPULATION FOR MUCH OF YOUR COASTLINE AND ESTURIES, IF NOTHING ELSE, BOYCOTT THE OWNERS, LOBBY LOCAL COUNCIL, CALL THE TV STATIONS, HECK- PUT UP SIGNS ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT IT!!

FOR THOSE WHO ARE READING THIS WITH A WRY SMILE, THINKING " HERE'S ANOTHER GREENIE NUT.." CONSIDER THIS;

HYDROCARBONS CONTAIN CARCENOGENIC MATERIAL, DEAD FISH ARE BEING CONSUMED BY EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR ECOSYSTEM, EVENTUALLY EVEN YOU...

PERSONALLY, I WILL MAKE EFFORTS TO FOLLOW THIS ISSUE, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER PRIME FISHING LOCATION TO THE "GOOD OLD WAYS" SYNDROME. >

[Lucky_Phill]

A result form the testing of soil samples has confirmed the presence of " Hydrocarbons ". #Thus it is confirmed that the leak IS from the / a fuel tank at the Marina.

THAT Tank has now been de-commissioned. #As at this date, I am unsure if the tank held diesel #or ULP.

The EPA and Council are going to continue the investigation to determine what further action is required to put a complete stop to the leak. #I believe soil #samples via drilling are to be conducted and if the tank is shown to be in a state that requires it to be removed from the ground, it will be.

Although this seems like a victory, and it is, I am still dumbfounded by the complete lack of action in the last 4 years, since this has been reported to EPA. #

Further, I must retract a statement I made in the original post. The EPA has assured me the Marina operator has upgraded his fuel delivery system to an acceptable standard and has spillage booms and all necessary equipment that is required by the EPA, to contain any spillage that may occur.

updates will continue, but for now, we'll savour the victory.

Cheers # Phill

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

For what you have done, congratulations and thank you Phil.

Cheers
Dave

[gif]

Anyone care to fund an FOI application on this one?

Get all the past history of complaints and lack of results

Then take it to the media and the ombudsmen and maybe the opposition.

Could cost from $100 to $400 all up. I cant dip into my own pocket any more on these issues - sorry just that I am also paying for a trip to Sydney in 2 weeks for another Fishing / environment project.


I will still do the letter and paperwork to see it happen


Cheers


Gary

[barradise]

Hi Phill,
The EPA are a laughing joke in central Queensland, just look at the enviromental damage that occurs on an almost daily basis in Gladstone harbour and Gladstone City for that matter.
This agency is lazy and politically driven, they are not easy to get information regarding investigations and rarely get involved in an issue until publically pushed into a corner.
They are a waist of tax payers money.
John.

[Gazza.Boyne]

Hey guys,

Can you be so kind to enlighten me. Do the EPA come under the juristiction of the State or Federal government?

Gazza

[lippa]

i'll throw a hundred your way gary give your details and ill transfer ot through

[Feral]

You can have the mob from brisbane if you like, we had a leak at work donkey's years ago, which contaminated a fair amount of land. Big project dig it all up and replace.

Now they are back because we want to extend a building drilling sample holes to check to see if the leak had spread more than we cleaned up.

Seeing all these 25 year old wet behind the ears university educated EPA blokes standing around the drilling rig, no hard hats, no gloves, wearing slacks and business shirts, standard shoes, sleeves undone and flapping in the breeze, pulling the sample off the auger by hand whilst it was in motion, made me feel like our environment is in safe hands! NOT.

When our safety officer was finished ripping them a new one over the above, we just about had to call an ambulance for him when he discovered they were drilling within 3 foot of our main underground power feed (8000kva) with no services located!

Funny thing is where they were drilling, is the boundary we share with an old service station, which stopped selling fuel years ago because of the water leaking into the tanks! So I reckon they will find something, but probably not from us (our leak was chemical not fuel).