Environmental activists are threatening to dust off their boots to protest if matters are not resolved at Astron Energy’s Milnerton Refinery after a recent product spill affected local birds and wildlife
The reported leak took place on Koeberg Road into the Table Bay waterways that run through Rietvlei Wetland Reserve and join with the Milnerton Lagoon.
“How many spills in the past year and how much product was spilt this time?” asks Caroline Marx, group administrator of the Facebook group, Rethink the Stink.
Animals, birds
Marx says that while some of the affected birds were picked up, she is concerned about the other wildlife.
“What about the other creatures living in the thick reed beds adjacent to the river? The frogs and the dragonflies? Local residents already notice they no longer hear the sounds of the ‘blikslanertjie’ or dainty frog on that side of the nature reserve. This is the third product spill in a few years. Each time the community is assured it has all been cleaned up and that the traces of petrochemicals in nearby stormwater drains are not related to the spills,” Marx says.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) says they have responded to diesel-affected water birds caused by a diesel spill from the Astron Energy plant.
Sanccob was made aware two days later when an oiled Common Moorhen was admitted.
According to Sanccob, the bird presented with severe neurological behaviour, likely caused by the fume inhalation, and unfortunately, needed to be euthanised.
Sanccob says they have since met with representatives from Table Bay Nature Reserve, the City of Cape Town Biodiversity Management and Water Pollution, and Astron Energy.
“Thus far, two Common Moorhens and three Red-knobbed Coot have died after being brought to Sanccob. The damage caused to the ecosystem and the effects on other wildlife have not yet been fully evaluated but are likely to be far greater than the death of the birds reported to date. EnviroServ has placed booms in Diep River to contain the spilt diesel and Sanccob deploys teams twice daily to identify and rescue affected wildlife, with Table Bay Nature Reserve Rangers also carrying out regular searches on a daily basis,” Sanccob says in a recent statement.
Containing spilt diesel
Whilst clean-up operations and measures were implemented to contain the spilt diesel, these were not fully effective as diesel still moved further downstream.
“To address this, EnviroServ duplicated booms, placed additional booms to cover a larger area, and placed peat along the booms to absorb the spilt diesel. The City of Cape Town is collecting water samples to be analysed, taken from the Diep River to the estuary and lagoon,” the statement reads further.
Sanccob’s head of conservation, Nicky Stander, says the recent diesel pollution spill highlights Astron Energy’s lack of preparedness relating to wildlife response.
“Far too often, we observe industry overlooking their obligation to effectively plan and prepare for pollution impacts on sensitive wildlife. The Astron Energy plant operates in the vicinity of rich biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems which have been polluted by diesel fuel. Sanccob strongly advocates for responsible international best practice by ensuring a comprehensive wildlife contingency plan to ensure a rapid response by identified stakeholders. Diesel fuel has been proven to be fatal to water birds and seabirds due to the toxic nature of the product.
“Rapid rescue of affected birds may provide a window of opportunity to successfully stabilise individuals although the prognosis will remain guarded. However, in this case, the affected water birds had prolonged exposure to diesel fuel, both internally and externally, which undoubtedly caused severe complications to the respiratory and central nervous systems”.
“The remediation of impacted waterways is concerning; diesel spilt in the ocean can quickly break up due to wave and wind action; however, these waterways have relatively little movement. The diesel product will also make its way into the reed and soil systems; these hydrocarbons are harmful to aquatic species that depend on these habitats,” Stander says.
Dr David Roberts, a clinical veterinarian at Sanccob, says two of the five birds that were admitted to Sanccob were severely compromised. They were suffering and immediately euthanised.
“When birds are oiled, the first 24 hours are critical; birds need to be stabilised before the oil is washed from the feathers. Birds oiled by diesel are approached differently; it is particularly dangerous because it causes severe skin irritation/burns, and so immediate washing is required to alleviate the skin irritation. Birds are not only affected by the diesel externally but also ingest and inhale the substance, which causes inflammation in the respiratory and digestive systems. It is very difficult to save birds that have been affected by diesel,” Roberts says.
Monitoring situation
Astron Energy released a statement on Saturday 29 April saying they are continuing to work to contain and clean up the residual impact of a product spill that occurred recently.
“We are obviously concerned by any impact the spill may have had on local wild- and birdlife and we are doing everything we can to prevent any further damage to our sensitive ecosystems,” the statement reads.
Astron Energy says they have since completed the clean-up of the area where the spill occurred and continue to monitor the area. They say they have hired an external specialist to assist with any other remediation activities associated with the residual diesel in the conservancy.
“We are liaising with representatives from the City of Cape Town and the relevant environmental agencies and non-governmental organisations where appropriate, to minimize the impact on the environment.”
Astron Energy made headlines in July 2020 when an explosion at the Milnerton refinery killed two people and injured several others. Astron Energy says it is close to fully reopening the refinery in Milnerton.
“We are in the final steps of a safe full restart of the refinery and plan to fully recommence the production of refined products for supply into the Western Cape and the wider South African regions in the coming weeks,” Astron says in a statement.
However, environmentalists are now questioning the reopening after the recent spill.
Report incidents
“Do not attempt to catch or wash affected birds. Diesel is toxic to human health, therefore appropriate personal protective equipment is required. Diesel fuel is a clear or slightly coloured liquid, therefore affected wildlife will not present with the typical black tar substance that one may expect to see. Fur or feathers may look wet or waxy,” Sanccob says.
Sightings of diesel-affected birds can be reported to Sanccob in Table View on 021 557 6155 or emergency after hours on 078 628 3731.
Astron Energy has also urged the community to SMS the word “query” or “complaint” followed by a text message to 30786 for any questions or concerns.
