BP ordered to pay more than $50,000 over jet fuel leak at Port River
Petroleum giant BP will pay a $48,000 fine and other costs in 2020 for spilling jet fuel in Adelaide’s Port River.
key points:
- A hose failure caused a fuel spill in Largs Bay in February 2020
- Residents reported health effects from smoke to environmental officials
- $65,000 includes civil penalties and legal costs of $48,000
UK-registered fuel company BP Shipping Ltd has agreed to pay $65,319 to avoid prosecution by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of South Australia.
The EPA said it received 16 complaints about the spill, with residents reporting health effects from the smoke.
BP’s payments included a civil penalty of $48,000 and more than $17,000 in technical expenses.
The company would pay an additional approximately $11,000 in legal costs, but the EPA recognized that the penalty was reduced due to BP Shipping’s “good compliance record.”
The fuel leak occurred on February 29, 2020, when the BP vessel British Engineer was moored in Largs Bay, transferring A-1 jet fuel to the onshore terminal owned by Mobil.
Pressurized liquid chemical hose that failed, causing jet fuel to spill into the water. (Supply: EPA)
The A-1 fuel is variously described as kerosene-like and kerosene-based, and is one of the most common fuels used in the global aviation industry.
It is also considered toxic – according to BP’s website, the fuel can cause “serious and potentially fatal” consequences if ingested.
The EPA said the 2020 spill occurred when a pressurized liquid chemical hose on the ship failed, sending “an unknown amount of fuel onto the ship’s deck and into the Port River”.
It was found that the company did not take “all reasonable steps” to prevent the failure of the hose.
“Following an investigation, EPA was satisfied that BP Shipping Ltd. caused physical environmental harm through odor from spilled fuel affecting the community,” said EPA Chief Executive Officer Tony Cirkelly.
The Port River is home to a dolphin sanctuary, but recent deaths have prompted environmental concerns. (Supply: Jenny Wirsta)
The EPA said BP took “immediate action” to clean up the spill and subsequently stopped using flexible hoses for cargo handling.
It said BP’s fines were reduced following the company’s “submission of its good compliance record”, and noted that BP was not required to take “previous enforcement action by the EPA in South Australia”.
The Port River is home to a dolphin sanctuary, but has been beset by pollution and environmental issues for decades.
The discovery of several dead dolphins in the area last year worried conservationists.
