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The Otago Regional Council was requesting information to identify the source of the spill and had enacted a pollution response plan to mitigate environmental impact.
The spill, which involved between 400 and 600 liters of diesel entering the port from the South Dunedin stormwater network, was described as a serious violation by the council’s compliance manager, Tami Sargeant.
“We are seeing a significant amount of diesel being discharged into the stormwater network, and our investigation team is very interested in identifying the source and determining what happened here.
“Given the volume of diesel, we think it’s very likely that someone in the community knows how it got into the stormwater system. The adverse effects on the environment from a spill like this can be quite serious. “
Sargeant said the pollution response team was using absorbent barriers to stop the spread of diesel at the port.
The barriers have been placed in the storm drain to the port to absorb as much diesel pollution as possible.
There was still diesel contamination in the stormwater network that would reach the port through the sewer pipe in the next few days.
“The time it takes for diesel pollution to leave the grid depends on the amount of rain we receive, but the barriers will remain in place until the diesel stops being discharged.”
Dunedin City Council Waters 3 group manager Tom Dyer said the council was disappointed by the situation and that staff were working closely with the regional council.
Sargent asked anyone with information about the spill to contact the council.
