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Supplied
Port rangers from the Greater Wellington Regional Council deploying barriers from the Harbor Master ship to extract and retain oil at the north end of Seaview Marina.
An oil refinery company has been fined for leaking thousands of liters of transformer oil at Wellington’s Seaview Marina.
No penguins were harmed by the toxic oil, just the mere possibility that their breeding season was over.
eNZoil (NZ) Ltd was convicted and fined $ 90,000 for discharging between 5,000 and 6,000 liters of refined transformer oil from its operation into the stormwater network and then into Seaview Marina, March 17-18 last year.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council brought charges against the company, which takes waste transformer oil and refines it into a usable product.
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In sentencing, Judge Dwyer said the discharge was the result of gross negligence and significant flaws.
The spill was the result of a series of failures, including failing to close a valve on a package that should have contained any spill. The oil, despite being refined, is still toxic to marine life.
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The rainbow glow of oil visible in the water at Seaview Marina, looking east towards the storm drain.
”Given the proximity to the marina and the direct connection to the stormwater system, they should have been aware of the risks; the processes should have been carried out with the utmost care. “
However, he recognized that eNZOil was an organization focused on the environment and sustainability, taking a waste product and making it reusable.
eNZoil assisted with the clean-up, which involved regional council ports and environmental protection personnel, Hutt city council officials and navy personnel.
A spokesperson said the company accepted responsibility immediately. “We were implementing changes to equipment and processes that we believe would have prevented the event, but sadly they were not in place at the time.”
Continual improvements to your system would ensure that no more spills occurred.
“ENZoil is a small company committed to removing a pollutant from the environment, without adding it.”
Environmental regulation team leader James Snowdon said it was important for all companies to assess the risks of discharging harmful substances into the stormwater network and seek advice if they did not understand the requirements.
“We would rather advise people on how to avoid and minimize impacts on the environment than take them to court.”
