Pipeline rupture update #04

Northland Regional Council position 0900hrs Thurs 21 Sept

• Regional council staff yesterday (20/09) took surface water samples from three sites in the drain between the spill site and the Port Marsden Highway

• Council staff have now also finished assessing groundwater bores in the area, only finding two able to be sampled; both next to State Highway One

• Another several bores in the area have also been visited by council staff this week, but couldn’t be sampled due to historical damage (which also means they are no longer in use)

• The groundwater samples are essentially a precautionary measure only and were taken to help establish baseline groundwater quality in the area. However, given the distance from leak site (more than 400 metres) no bores are expected to have been contaminated

• Both ground and surface water samples are being analysed by independent, accredited laboratories in Auckland and Hamilton

• Test results are typically expected within 10-20 days

• Authorities have been regularly monitoring both the leak site and the Ruakaka Wildlife Refuge over the past week since the leak was reported

• As of today (21/09) there still does not appear to be any significant environmental damage, despite the large volume of fuel spilled

• Similarly, there’s been no visible evidence of any jet fuel reaching the Ruakaka River, which is approximately 2km from the spill site

• The regional council is continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the leak and will consider what, if any, further action (including formal enforcement action) is appropriate in due course

• For now, council’s primary focus remains on appropriate recovery of the spilled fuel and site clean-up

ENDS

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