Lake Macquarie oil spill, Eraring power station failure

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BY DAMON CRONSHAW

Eraring power station’s oil-containment system failed when an explosion caused an oil spill into Lake Macquarie, industry and political insiders say.

The power plant conceded that oil spilled into the lake after an explosion breached barriers meant to contain oil.

But numerous firefighting and industry sources said the problem was worsened because oil leaked into the lake through a drain that should have been sandbagged after the explosion.

Lake Macquarie MP and mayor Greg Piper said the explosion and oil spill exposed ‘‘some flaws’’ in Eraring’s containment system, but the incident ‘‘could have been a lot worse’’.

‘‘I’m told there was a drain that allowed oil to escape,’’ Cr Piper said. ‘‘But you can’t model for every contingency.’’

Eraring managing director Peter Jackson said some oil had leaked into stormwater drains and the lake after the explosion and subsequent use of millions of litres of water to fight the fire.

He was not aware a drain had been missed, as firefighters sought to contain the spill.

Mr Jackson said the utility would examine the design of its oil-containment system and look to improve it.

‘‘The transformer-generator was built close and adjacent to our outlet canal, that’s the way it was done 30 years ago,’’ Mr Jackson said.

An oil slick covered areas of the shore at Myuna Bay, Whiteheads Lagoon and Rocky Point.

Wind and the tide pushed oil across the lake at the weekend to Silverwater and Sunshine on the Morisset Peninsula, where residents reported brown oily sludge in the water.

Fire and Rescue NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage said it was a thin variety of oil, too fine to clean up.

They said the pollution would dissipate and evaporate, despite concerns about it entering the food chain.

The environment office will investigate the incident, which began after an explosion inside a transformer-generator at 2.30am last Friday.

Mr Jackson said the fire was extinguished yesterday, despite concerns it could smoulder for a week.

He said the progress could mean firefighters that vacate the site today


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