|  |
Letter to the Editor
The Age
13 February 2007
Your article “Petrol leak sparks health fears” (Sunday 11/2) was alarmist and
misleading, and raises unnecessary concerns for residents in the Newport area.
Residents are understandably concerned as testing and monitoring of water,
air and soil continues following the detection and repair of a small hole in
our pipeline last December.
However, the article
underplays the important fact that the responsible authorities do not see any
cause for alarm. City West Water confirmed last week that residents’
drinking water is safe – while there was a small amount of petrol detected in
the water at one industrial facility, there is no widespread issue as implied
in your article. Nor has this issue been definitively linked to the hole
discovered in Mobil’s pipeline.
The EPA has confirmed
that air monitoring shows there was and continues to be no health risk from
petrol vapours. Testing confirms that soil contamination does not extend into
residential areas. The reporter had no factual basis for the report of
“thousands of litres” of leaked fuel. The assertion that “thousands of tonnes
of contaminated soil” were removed is also a gross exaggeration.
Mobil regrets that this issue has caused concern to local residents and will
continue to work hard to keep them fully informed as monitoring, maintenance
and remediation work continues.
Glenn Henson
Altona
Refinery Manager
Media Contact:
Alan Bailey 03 9270
3126 or 0417 549 175
| |
|
|
|
| |
