❓ A parliamentary question regarding a fuel spill at the Pinjar power station and alleged breaches of environmental agreements. The Minister denies a breach, stating pre-existing bunding measures were in place, but were insufficient.
AnsweredQoN 147Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a spokesman for the Minister for the Environment who was reported in the Wanneroo Times on 26 April 2005 as stating that Western Power gave a commitment to the Department of Environment in July 2004 that hired generators and their fuel supply lines at the Pinjar power station on the Gnangara water mound would be bunded to contain any potential leaks and be continuously monitored by personnel during operation. (1) How does the minister reconcile these commitments with the response given by him to my question without notice 107 of 26 April, when he admitted in (m) that bunding and containment arrangements were not implemented until after the spill of 8 000 litres of fuel; and in (d) that the spill occurred due to operator error and could have been avoided? (2) Does the minister agree that this constitutes a breach of Western Power’s bunding and operational monitoring agreement with the Department of Environment; and, if not, why not? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(1) How does the minister reconcile these commitments with the response given by him to my question without notice 107 of 26 April, when he admitted in (m) that bunding and containment arrangements were not implemented until after the spill of 8 000 litres of fuel; and in (d) that the spill occurred due to operator error and could have been avoided? (2) Does the minister agree that this constitutes a breach of Western Power’s bunding and operational monitoring agreement with the Department of Environment; and, if not, why not? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(2) Does the minister agree that this constitutes a breach of Western Power’s bunding and operational monitoring agreement with the Department of Environment; and, if not, why not? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(1) How does the minister reconcile these commitments with the response given by him to my question without notice 107 of 26 April, when he admitted in (m) that bunding and containment arrangements were not implemented until after the spill of 8 000 litres of fuel; and in (d) that the spill occurred due to operator error and could have been avoided? (2) Does the minister agree that this constitutes a breach of Western Power’s bunding and operational monitoring agreement with the Department of Environment; and, if not, why not? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(2) Does the minister agree that this constitutes a breach of Western Power’s bunding and operational monitoring agreement with the Department of Environment; and, if not, why not? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
I thank Hon George Cash for some notice of this question. (1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
(1) In relation to (m), the following containment measures on the temporary gas turbines were in place prior to the incident, including steel bunds under fuel skid, self-contained bunding on gas turbines and all fuel lines enclosed and drained back to permanent bunds. In relation to (d), the contractor was continuously monitoring the temporary gas turbines when they were running; however the spill occurred when the temporary gas turbines were not in operation. (2) No. Some of the spill escaped the pre-existing bunding measures. This was not foreseen and after the incident, additional measures were installed to prevent any re-occurrence.
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