SAAF waists R45m JET FUEL !

[Gunship]

DAMN - waist of good chopper fuel ! :E

Negligence has resulted in up to 15 million litres of jet fuel leaking into underground water supplies at Louis Trichardt air force base in Limpopo.

The loss, calculated at current fuel prices, runs to close on R45m and represents at least 3 000 extra flights for the Cheetah jet fighters stationed at the base.

Although rehabilitation has been under way for two years, the air force only admitted to the loss last week.

Measure taken are in accordance with department of forestry and water affairs guidelines. The airforce blames "poor workmanship" for the leak at a welded seam.

It is not clear how long the fuel has been leaking, but it could have been for up to 15 years.

Sakkie van der Westhuizen, director of water quality management at water affairs, said contamination for such a long period could only have been caused by "insufficient interest in controlling fuel supplies".

Pilots said they had complained "for years" about the leak, but to no avail.

When it rained and groundwater rose to the surface, it was coated with a thin oily layer.

A number of boreholes supplying employees on the base with household and drinking water were contaminated.

Van der Westhuizen said his department did not know of any animals or people living in the base's nature reserve who had been poisoned.



Wonder who did it ... :}

[Sir Cumference]

Good management missing! Surely someone would have to do a dip check or whatever on these fuel supplies? Seems such a pity for all that fuel to just leak away especially in light of the current SAAF budget. I really feel sorry for all the drivers, both helo and jetties that have so few hours to fly because of money. This appears to have happened over a long period of time, so PDI's cannot be fully blamed.

Erin Brokovitch (spelling?) would love to get hold of this one!!!!

[Gunship]

Sad to say but I saw the base when it was new. I flew there in 95/96 and the changes was dramatic to say the least ... saw it a while back at the funeral of a friend.

Man it has gone down the drain ... uhmm down the water supplies of Louis Trichardt (MAKHADO is the new name from 1 July me thinks).

This is a disaster people.

A lot of people in the Air Force Bases's district makes use of JUST boreholes. :rolleyes:

[B Sousa]

Just a thought from afar. If I was one of the last of the fairhaireds in the Air Force. I think my goal would be to get as much schooling (flight training) and as much logged time in civilian compatable aircraft as possible. All the while looking for a a somwhat solid job in whatever location one seems to be comfortable with.
Based on recent postings here, it appears that things will become slow to a standstill in the future.

[Gunship]

Fuel leaks at the Louis Trichardt air force base were apparently reported to top structures of the air force as far back as 1989, but the problem was addressed only in 2000.

The alleged "lack of effective action" eventually led to a loss of nearly 15 million litres of jet fuel - one of the largest cases of fuel pollution in South Africa - worth an estimated R45m.

It will cost several millions more to rehabilitate ground water and the 4 200 ha area of the base.

Serving and former members of the air force, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of intimidation, on Wednesday related how personnel at the base walked in rubber boots through fuel seeping through the ground after a heavy rainstorm in 1989.

The problem was reported, but no action was taken. The matter was also referred to the air force's inspector general.

One former member said staff at the base did not have the necessary equipment to find evidence of a leak.

At one stage, the fuel level in tanks dropped so rapidly that members suspected more than one leak.

The air force this week admitted that poor workmanship on a welding joint of an underground fuel pipe caused the problem.

Residents of the base and nearby farms were angry on Wednesday because they had never been informed of the toxic pollution of the water.

Air force members with fuel control experience said that not enough was being done to train experts at air forces bases across the country.

The 17km oil pipeline to the Louis Trichardt base is allegedly mainly guarded by ordinary security personnel, while it should be checked for leaks at least twice a month.

The air force said it would rehabilitate the entire area and that effective control systems had already been installed to prevent any future leaks.

:uhoh:

[Gunship]

The defence force on Friday said drinking water in the air base outside the town did not contain jet fuel.

It was earlier this week reported that about 15 million litres of jet fuel had leaked from underground tanks over the past few years.

The air force acknowledged a leak, saying shoddy welding on a connection of an underground fuel pipe caused it.

Jet fuel worth about R45m calculated at present fuel prices, was lost in this way. That amount of fuel represented 3 000 flight in one of the Cheetah aircraft kept at the base.

Lieutenant Ronald Maseko for the air force said drinking water was being pumped to the base from a source about 17km away.

"We test the quality of the water monthly to ensure that it's not contaminated", he said.

Pilots earlier said the water tasted "terrible". :E

The air force in a statement said 11 wells were sunk on the base between March and May 2001. "At the time, it was found that the wells close to the fuel tanks had contaminated water, although the level of contamination was low," Maseko said.

Another 21 wells were sunk in April last year to check if the water was suitable for human consumption, and it was established that the water was "not contaminated".

The statement said there were no visible signs of fuel leakage. There's also been no negative impact on the wildlife at the base.

:E

[currawong]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Crikey, nobody smoke!!!

:uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh: