Page 2373 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 June 1990
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MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND URBAN SERVICES
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
QUESTION NO. 163
Oil Pollution
Mrs Grassby: To ask the Minister for Finance and Urban Services -
(1) Is the Minister aware of oil and diesel leaks from sumps in
the Edmund Barton Building into Lake Burley Griffin.
(2) What action has been taken to rectify this problem.
Mr Duby: The answer to the Members question is as follows:
(1) The matter was drawn to the attention of the Environment
Protection Service on 19 April 1990. A Pollution Control
inspector visited Core 3, Barton Offices immediately. He
detected a strong smell of diesel oil in a building sump
which collects groundwater from the foundations of the
building:- Sump pumps were immediately switched off and the
sump allowed to fill. Later the contents were found to
contain five litres of diesel oil.
The pumps are located in the basement of the building and normally discharge clean groundwater to the stormwater system. This stormwater system eventually drains into Lake Burley Griffin.
The source of diesel oil has since been found to be a disused underground tank. Although the oil tank has now been emptied a small residual seepage continues and this is being pumped to a mobile soilage tank for disposal. This method of disposal will continue until all diesel oil seepage ceases.
The building manager and contractor involved in refitting have been most co-operative in these investigations. Inspections of Lake Burley Griffin have not revealed any obvious pollution.
Incidents of this magnitude are regularly attended by inspectors of the Environment Protection Service. In most cases there is a logical explanation and simple solution.
Because of the experience of the Environment Protection Service with problems associated with underground storage in Canberra the Australian Institute of Petroleum has developed a draft code of practice and specifications for underground storage of petroleum products. When this is endorsed by environmental agencies throughout Australia it will prevent tanks and lines from leaking to the environment.
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