JetA1 spill- 150,000 liters of it - latest 1,000,000 liters @ Joburg

[4HolerPoler]

Eischh!!!! The wheels continue to fall off............

A clean-up campaign was underway at the Blaauwpan dam in Bonaero Park on the East Rand after a fuel spillage at Johannesburg International Airport, the SA Airports Company (ACSA) said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Solomon Makgale said the dam was contaminated when some of the fuel drained into the storm water system which leads into the Blaauwpan dam. This happened on Monday morning when a mechanical failure on one of the refuelling valves caused a jet fuel spillage. "A team of experts comprising geo-hydrologists, ecologists, engineers and environmental practitioners have been deployed to commence with remedial measures in order to minimise the impact," Makgale said. He said an independent ecological expert was also commissioned to provide a comprehensive report of the status of the dam in relation to aquatic life. "We have elevated the wall of the dam, flushed the storm-water canal and are using absorbent material to clean up the dam." The clean-up campaign was expected to be finalised in a month-and-a-half. "So far, 105 000 litres of the estimated 150 000 litres have been recovered within the area in which the incident took place and will be disposed of in a safe manner." All the government departments and agencies responsible for water management within the airport precinct had been informed, said Makgale.

[Avvy]

“Who can we blame for this one…:O ? Doesn’t matter, we will just raise tax and charge more at the gate, that should cover expenses. “:ok:

[Parrot]

Now how exactly do you lose 150 000 litres before you realize there is a problem ????:rolleyes:

Quite costly as well !!!

[B Sousa]

"So far, 105 000 litres of the estimated 150 000 litres have been recovered within the area in which the incident took place and will be disposed of in a safe manner."
Which probably translates to, it will be sold for cash under the table.

[4HolerPoler]

Eisch! These boys are outdoing themselves - yesterday's leak could amount to a million liters of Jet A1!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

Charges of criminal neglect are being planned against Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) and criminal charges against its executive head and the mayor of Ekurhuleni after Tuesday's massive aviation-fuel leak at OR Tambo International Airport. It is estimated that between 500 000 and a million litres of fuel leaked into a storm-water drain at the airport and Blaauw Pan, a protected wetland about a kilometre downstream. There have been two previous leaks - in July last year and September this year. Conservation organisations described Tuesday's spill as an environmental disaster. Waldimar Pelser reports that Acsa became aware of the situation at 05:30, but residents from nearby Bonaero Park told Beeld the stench drifting in from the airport woke them about 03:00. All fuel supplies to the airport were suspended until 07:25 as a precautionary measure and at least six flights were delayed, according to an Acsa statement.

South African Airways flights that were due to take off at 06:00 left shortly before 08:00, said SAA spokesperson Jacqui O'Sullivan. Tuesday's spill was about three times as big as the leakage six weeks ago, when about 200 000 litres seeped from a burst fuel pipe. Nicole Barlow, chairperson of the Gauteng Environmental and Conservation Association, said at least half a million litres and maybe as much as a million litres of fuel was spilt on Tuesday. Acsa spokesperson Solomon Makgale said they complied with international safety standards and it was not yet clear how much fuel had been lost. :} Beeld reports that the department of water affairs and forestry called an emergency meeting with Acsa on Tuesday afternoon.

The deputy director of water quality management, Marius Keet, said legal steps were being taken against Acsa after the September spill and Tuesday's giant leak would be added to the charges. If negligence was proven, Acsa would be prosecuted. Acsa said it had launched its own investigation. The law compels the authorities and managers to take steps to ensure that water remains potable. Barlow said in a statement that the spill in July last year was possibly an accident, the second in September was "blatant neglect" and the third was "criminal". :ugh:

Separate criminal charges in terms of article 29 of the Water Act are to be filed against Acsa head Monhla Hlahla and the executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Duma Nkosi, by Barlow and Dr Pieter van Eeden, a pollution ecologist and chairperson of the Blauuw Pan Conservationary, after this week's incident. Makgale said the previous spill had just been cleaned up and the soil was still rehabilitating. The fuel leak on Tuesday was on to a concrete area where aircraft were parked.

4HP :{

[linuxgal]

Now how exactly do you lose 150 000 litres before you realize there is a problem ????:rolleyes:
Quite costly as well !!!
And now the latest spill...............
Quite a simple recipe, really. Take away the previous expertise, replace with "I want a good job, a lot of money, but I don't want to wek too hard" Add a cocktail of indifference, incompetence and corruption, subtract regular maintenance, shake and stir while toyi-toying around and voila! Disaster. Maybe ACSA should put some of their record profits into actually keeping the basics going............:ugh: :ugh:
2010 here we come.

[beechbum]

:ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:
Linuxgal..................couldn't have said it better....story of what's going on in a nutshell around us..:D
Eisshhhhh...!!!!!
As you said let the games begin in 2010.:eek:

[Irene]

I think the spill was due to apartheid:}

[4HolerPoler]

Latest news includes the news that the spill was 1,200,000 liters - that's the fuel capacity of six B747-400's. :eek:

The Airports Company of SA (Acsa) will take full responsibility for Tuesday's jet fuel leak at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg if negligence on its part is proved. Acsa CEO Monhla Hlahla, at a press conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, said preliminary investigations indicated a mechanical failure was the cause of the spillage of an estimated 1.2 million litres of fuel into a storm-water drain at the airport and Blaauw Pan, a protected wetland about a kilometre downstream. "The gasket (part of the valve) failed. A detailed investigation to determine the reason for the gasket failure has been initiated," she said.

Suggestions for the renaming of Blaauwpan on a postcard please.

:) OR Tambo Mineral Springs

:uhoh: Brandstofbaai

Gotta be careful of those gaskets guys - they start letting go after about twelve or so years.

4HP

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Lack of maintenance is negligence so I guess ACSA is on the hook. It'll all be swept under the carpet after some poor bugger who had nothing to do with it has been blamed in any case. :rolleyes: :hmm:

[GULF69]

Nice one Irene,

:ok: :D :D :D

That's my fix of laughter for the day!!!

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