Port Elizabeth: MyPE - Spend Millions, Watch it get Covered in Oil and Grime

www.MyPE.co.za: With reference to an article by Guy Rogers; "Green Scorpions catch tank farm in the act" and the many articles written on MyPE about the Manganese Ore in the Port Elizabeth Harbour, a new environmental hazard has been added to compound matters even further.

The Oil Tank Farm within the harbour has always been lurking under the radar but I cannot stand idly by anymore and watch the degradation of the harbour area and decimation of assets worth millions of rands. Over the past few years the state of the harbour and lack of environmental concern has slowly pushed many of the businesses and clubs into a downward spiral. Face facts; "Would you spend good money on a recreational craft, only to be forced to have it cleaned a minimum of three times per week and watch whilst a surface water borne grinding paste of oil and manganese ore destroys your craft?"

As a frequent visitor to the harbour I have been dismayed to see the oil and muck floating on the surface, literally destroying the liveliehoods of fisherman and placing their future in jeopardy. Oil contamination of a chokka catch will render it absolutely worthless, oil contamination on boats and buildings costs huge money to fix, oil contamination destroys fish and wildlife and could even bring the oyster farm to it's knees.

It is an 'open secret' that there is a problem with the Oil Tank Farm - it used to be apparent in a spring tide, but now seems to be getting much worse. A bern to stop the contamination has been set up, but, in a big sea the oil slops over or sinks to the bottom.

I have personally witnessed boat owners just giving up on sailing as it is not pleasant to have to hose your boat down every time you want to go for a sail. Not to mention the fact that the manganese ore gets into all the ropes, sails, electronics, engines and down below. Now, compounding the misery, is the oil and manganese gook that rubs up against the sides of all the boats scraping away at paint and gel coat indiscriminately.

If we were in a litigious nation such as the United States of America the boat owners would band together and bring a Class Action lawsuit against those responsible. The overwhelming majority of boat owners are of a paler hue and it is a well known fact that white men can't dance so the destruction of the environment and boats goes on unchecked whilst meeting after meeting is held and hot air expelled at an ever increasing rate.

Yacht Damage due to Oil Spill and Manganese Ore

Have a look at some conservative figures for cleaning one boat ONCE, that could form part of a Class Action Lawsuit; Labour, Detergent and Supervision tops out at R500.00. Replacement of fenders a minimum of R285.00 per fender. Now multiply R785.00 by 140 boats by 4 cleans a week and we start getting scared - R475 867.00 per month. Add a conservative figure of R8 000.00 per boat for lift in and out of the water, repairs to gel coat, and anti fouling at a total cost of R1 120 000.00 and we start realising the enormity of the costs associated with the oil spill and manganese ore problem.

Now factor in repairs to the marinas, jetties, the Chokka and Fishing Fleets, the Power Boats and lost revenue from overseas yachts that choose not to moor in a filthy oil encrusted harbour and we are seeing huge amounts of money being lost whilst a certain Oil company allows profits to climb despite their supposed environmental conscience.

And people wonder why sailing is a 'dying, rich man' sport?

I witnessed the detrimental effect that the oil pollution has on the smooth running of business and events in the harbour on the completion of the Algoa Bay Yacht Club's premium annual regatta. The visiting Pacer 27 Sport boats had to be taken out of the water and placed back on their trailers. This process had to be halted when a particularly nasty oil slick appeared next to the hard area on which the yacht club's crane resides. Not only would the oil dirty the boats about to be lifted but also the slings from the crane would have been soiled and thrown away. Resulting in one boat owner having to opt for using the slipway and risking greater damage to his boat and trailer.

One of the boat owners pointed out to me during the regatta that he had seen a penguin covered in oil swimming around the yachts in the marina. Attempts to catch it, were fruitless, however.

A trip to the Dom Pedro Quay on Sunday 3 May, to see the spillage, proved to me once again that the leak continues unchecked with oil and fuel clearly visible in the water. The bern only stops surface borne oil and fuel and does not extend far below the waterline. Passing yachts power and fishing boats create wave action allowing the oil and fuel to slop over the bern and spread throughout the harbour, with the hardest hit areas being PEDSAC, NSRI, ABYC Marina and the fishing Jetty.

Placed at the Dom Pedro Quay was a security guard who watched me with eagle eyes whilst I surveyed the mess that the oil leak has caused to the water, the pump station and piles as well as the new Quayside. I decided that taking a photograph was not worth the chance of being confronted and possibly having my camera confiscated so I walked around the pump station out of view of the security guard and took a few photographs of the pump station piles.

The images clearly show an accumulation of oil over a long period of time on the piles and the rocks along the shore.

That the harbour authorities are aware of the mess and leak is a given. I overheard a radio conversation between Port Control and three Safety Officers sent to investigate the oil leak on Sunday 3 May and it is clear that they have some form of damage control structure in place. Whether they are accumulating 'evidence' or just employing stalling tactics remains to be seen.

More Port Elizabeth Oil Spill Images.

Despite attempts by the authorities to 'suppress' the complaints the 'oil spill debacle' has now also been featured in the popular press.

These are the latest articles on the oil spill and attendant hazards that have been published in the press:

Weekend Post 4 May 2009:
Green Scorpions 'catch tank farm in the act'
By Guy Rogers, Environment and Tourism Editor

THE environment department said yesterday Port Elizabeth Harbour appeared to be extensively polluted - and the evidence indicated that the tank farm is the likely culprit.

The statement by the department comes amid renewed reports of an extensive oil-based slick covering the surface of the harbour waters, fouling boats and threatening fishing, catering and tourism.

A Green Scorpions team started investigating the matter last October after a damning report earlier in the year by former environmental affairs and tourism department director-general Dr Chippy Olver, which pointed to serious pollution emanating from the manganese ore dump and petroleum storage tank farm.

Speaking for the first time about the probe, the department's acting chief director for regulatory services, Mark Jardine, said extensive samples had been taken during the probe and these had been analysed and reviewed.

"The department has determined that various parties, including a number of tenants, are responsible for the environmental degradation currently occurring at the Port Elizabeth Harbour.

"The department has reasonable grounds to believe that potential pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and the marine environment has occurred and is still occurring as a result of the tank farm."

In addition, and in light of information gathered during and subsequent to the inspection, the mitigating measures for dust and storm water management currently in place at the manganese ore dump were judged to be insufficient, Jardine said.

The pollution culprits appear to have breached the National Environmental Management Act's "duty of care" law and, in terms of the Environmental Conservation Act, directives can now be issued against them.

In terms of this process, the department is now in the process of finalising "pre-directives" which will "instruct the relevant parties to provide reasons why directives should not be issued (against them)."

Jardine said it was "premature" in terms of this process to publicly name the recipients or specifically state why they were suspected of causing pollution.

Once the pre-directives have been responded to, then the department will make an informed decision as to who should receive final directives, he explained. These directives will convey specific instructions and time frames for cleaning up the pollution and future operations.

Meanwhile, aerial photographs taken recently clearly show an oil-based slick fanned out across the port. Close-up pictures in the yacht basin show a thick, oily gunge floating on the surface.

Dive tour operator Rainer Schimpf, who is also head of marine conservation NGO Ocean Messengers and who took the aerial pictures, said the destruction of marine life was inevitable.

"Tourists use the harbour when they go out for diving or whale-spotting excursions, and of course it can spread to our beaches. Soon it can start affecting our seafood. They will not be impressed."

He was also concerned about what the situation said about management of Ngqura once the port was opened.

"There will be more industry and more potential pollution from the Coega IDZ than there is here. And if we have companies apparently turning a blind eye to this situation and getting away with it here in the heart of our metro - how much more possible is that at Ngqura out of the public eye?"

Morgan Griffiths, of the Wildlife and Environment Society - and regional co-ordinator of the international Blue Flag programme highlighting top environmental, safety and health standards at beaches - said he was concerned about the pollution at the harbour.

"The facts need to be clarified, but my information is that oil could be leaking out the tanks in the fuel tank farm into the soil and then seeping through the splits in the concrete 'hards' on that side of the harbour, into the water.

"It is not only fouling vessels but also jeopardising the business of the chokka boat guys, because their export catch can be rejected if it is tainted with this pollution."

Griffiths said he had broached the matter with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the harbour landlord. "My understanding is they are investigating."

He said no oil had washed up at PE's three Blue Flag beaches - Humewood, Kings and Wells Estate - but the situation was being monitored.

TNPA spokesman Ayanda Mantshongo said port manager Hester Goosen was investigating the matter.

Comments posted on the above article:

ddamane
This has been going on for YEARS and NOW they wake up, maybe to promote the move to the failing Coega harbour?? OR to get the new Casino going at the Old tank farm..mm..either way, NAIL PORTNET...another Government institution yes...PE is definitely going to the dogs.

The Times 10 May 2009:
Fouled yachts, fouler tempers after oil leak
By Lauren Cohen

Irate boat owners have slapped petrochemical giant Shell with a R900000 repair bill over a messy oil leak in Port Elizabeth harbour.

Oil leaking from a tank farm has been identified by the Green Scorpions as the cause of extensive pollution that is fouling boats and threatening sea life.

Shell acts as housekeeper of the tank farm on behalf of tenants which include itself, Total, Engen and Chevron.

The environmental police unit probed the pollution last year after a damning report by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Two dead penguins covered in oil were found in the harbour this week and have been sent for autopsies by Transnet.

Pollution cleanups are conducted daily, said port manager Ester Goosen.

"Containment measures for the oil leak are in place and it is closely monitored. An investigation into the cause and possible solution to the oil seepage is still underway."

After suffering oil-covered moorings, ropes and fenders for years, more than 100 boats need new anti-fouling treatment to prevent the growth of damaging sea urchins at a cost of R7000 to R14000 per boat.

Annoyed owners cannot dive in the harbour to clean boats as the oil-covered water is a health hazard.

Plans to move the tank farm, which has long blighted views of the PE beachfront, have been mooted for decades.

The commodore of Algoa Bay Yacht Club, Ian Littlejohn, said: "Our members are fed up. If I walked into Shell head office and poured this gunge over the managing director's office, I'd probably go to jail. But that's what they are doing to our boats."

Algoa Bay pleasure craft marina director Steve Burnell said the oil also posed a fire risk.

"We have put in a claim with Shell for oil damages for R893568 to repair our boats and infrastructure.

"We are also losing mooring revenue because people come into the harbour, see the oil situation and leave," he said.

Shell SA told the Sunday Times that seepage "appeared to be from discontinued infrastructure in the jetty".

"Deep-sea booms have been deployed to contain the leak and measures are under way to recover the product in the interim," communications manager Elton Fortuin said.

"The (oil companies) are expediting efforts to resolve the matter with a comprehensive remediation plan, but while investigations are under way, any discussion on liability is premature."

Comments posted on the above article:

Tackler said at May 10 2009 7:09AM
"Discontinued infrastructure"?

The ANC government has, no doubt, just left what they inherited in good order from their Nat predecessors to rust and rot away. They spent the money on perks and gravy and luxury travel for their comrades. Hey, it's Africa, after all.

DDarko said at May 10 2009 7:51AM
Another ANC success story. The local municipality was too incompetent to have acted in time, did they want more than 15 years to see the oil in the harbour?

Or were they too busy stealing? Like the dishonorable Stofile, 500 million in 5 years? What happened to that report?

The Eastern Cape is an ANC cesspit.

Association of
National
Criminals.

Porcupine_Quill said at May 10 2009 9:19PM
How come these Green Scorpions haven't been "browned" like the other Scorpions?

Brent7777 said at May 11 2009 11:04AM
The problem with the soiled moorings has been a problem in the Port Elizabeth harbour for years and this is indeed a common problem with most harbour based marinas Word wide.

Sadly the ABYC sees this as an opportunity to fill their depleted coffers with cash from the oil companies that are accused tried and sentenced by the Commodore and his executive.

This club should be fostering sailing but is more attuned to catering for the social and drinking needs of the executive and a handful of regular drinking companions.

It is shocking to note that less than 12% of all boats and yachts moored at the ABYC are used on a regular basis and even more shocking that 76% of members have not even been on the water in the past year. No wonder the boats are getting soiled.

MyPEcoza said at May 12 2009 5:07PM
@Brent777 said:
"Sadly the ABYC sees this as an opportunity to fill their depleted coffers with cash from the oil companies that are accused tried and sentenced by the Commodore and his executive."

That yacht owners who have been bearing the brunt of the costs for the clean up of Manganese Ore and Oil for many years can be characterised as filling their depleted coffers for the benefit of the club is a bit of a poor argument.

@Brent777 said:
"This club should be fostering sailing but is more attuned to catering for the social and drinking needs of the executive and a handful of regular drinking companions."

errrm what is your implication here? Even Golf Clubs are filled with social members reliving their glory days. The executive committee does not have a paid for free drink account - in fact any entertaining done for the benefit of the club is paid for out of the pockets of the executive.

I have personal experience of watching a die hard sailor just give sailing up in the face of having to clean his boat just ONE last time, through no fault of his own but through extensive manganese and oil pollution. One other boat owner won't even bring his yacht to Port Elizabeth for fear of his investment going downhill rapidly

@Brent777 said:
"It is shocking to note that less than 12% of all boats and yachts moored at the ABYC are used on a regular basis and even more shocking that 76% of members have not even been on the water in the past year. No wonder the boats are getting soiled."

Stats and lies are all easy to quote - please provide your sources. Would you like to have to sail from a harbour where you have to cover your yacht, stow away all sails, sheets and halyards after sailing, THEN have to wash your boat down before every sail and unpack everything? Methinks NOT.

Before the onslaught of the oil spillage we 'ONLY' had to contend with the manganese ore and we ONLY had to wash down every three days or after each east wind - now the yachts are being ATTACKED from the waterline by oil as well.

The Herald 11 May 2009:
Parastatals must toe the line

THE pollution in the Port Elizabeth harbour that the Green Scorpions suggest is the result of leakage from the tank farm comes on top of a damning report compiled by former environmental affairs and tourism director-general Chippy Olver that catalogued a number of incidents of environmental degradation caused by the tanks and manganese facility.

The matter was referred to the Green Scorpions by former DA MP Eddie Trent, and the investigation has now been continuing for some six months.

While the pollution and the effect this will have on the health of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay and the environment is cause for concern, the situation flows from a far deeper malaise - the belief by the parastatals that they can set their own agendas and are somehow above the laws that regulate the conduct of others.

Too often decisions have been based on what the parastatals desire rather than on the developmental agenda of government. The Port Elizabeth harbour is a case in point with Transnet declining to co-operate in the removal of the tank farms and manganese facility to allow the area to be developed and so create a significant number of jobs.

Compelling the parastatals to be part of the agenda set by government must be a priority for the new administration if significant opportunities are not to be wasted.

The Herald 12 May 2009:
Secrecy over tank farm hazard report
By Patrick Cull, Political Editor

THE Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has done an inspection of the potentially hazardous liquid petroleum gas cylinders at the Port Elizabeth harbour - but the report, which deals with the possible widespread devastation that would be caused in the event of an explosion - may never be made public.

Responding to questions raised by the DA about the inspection, safety and security executive director Wimpie Kruger, who initiated the inspection, said that the harbour was a national key point.

"I do not want to keep the report secret, but I signed a confidentiality agreement in terms of the National Key Points Act," he told the municipality's safety and security committee.

Kruger said he would be taking legal advice, but it probably means that the report will be on green paper the next time the committee meets, so its contents will not be revealed to the public.

Earlier, Elizabeth Trent (DA) said it appeared that the harbour was treated "like a holy cow" and asked whether the investigation report would include the possibility of a boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (Bleve) that would cause widespread havoc and devastation.

A Bleve is a type of explosion that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurised liquid is ruptured, and can be "extremely hazardous".

Trent said she could not understand why the harbour should be protected.

The ANC stressed that it was important for the committee to see the report. Aubrey Mali said: "We are responsible for the lives of the people in the metro."

The tank farm in the harbour has been the subject of considerable controversy with a report compiled by former environmental affairs and tourism director-general Dr Chippy Olver stating that there had been "extensive pollution arising from the tank farm over the years".

Previously the sludge from the tanks was simply buried in holes in the ground dug next to the manholes. This practice was widespread. The sludge is from leaded fuel, and has high heavy metals content.

The load ramps for the tank farm are also heavy spill areas, and there have been numerous incidents over the years.

There are five or six sites of leakage on the Shell site alone, and probably similar amounts of leakage on the other sites.

The report identifies another area of concern in "the integrity of the tank farm fire control systems. These are salt-water-based, and were installed by the predecessor of the Central Energy Fund over 20 years ago. The condition of the fire system is suspect."

What do YOU Think?

Place your comments below.