Auckland: Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff are combing Tauranga Harbour today following yesterday’s bunker spill at the port of Tauranga, which occurred when a fuel pipeline leaked during the bunkering of a berthed ship.
Regional On-Scene Commander Adrian Heays said the amount of oil spilled is still unknown, but all shorelines were being checked after oil has been spotted on Maungatapu covering about 300 metres of the beach. A helicopter survey this morning has shown no new oil in the water, with four major slicks spotted yesterday.
“Today we are gathering as much information as possible on where the oil has gone and ensuring we can clean up as much as possible. There are booms under the wharf to contain what is there,” Heays said.
Meanwhile, Mobil New Zealand has issued a statement saying that the company had immediately shut down fuel bunker operations at the wharf following the incident, identified the source of leak from the fuel pipeline which will remain shut until repairs can be carried out. The company said it regrets the incident and promises a full investigation.
