Gas Company suspects action by intruder

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33061, 31 October 1972, Page 18

Gas Company suspects action by intruder

The most likely explanation for the escape of tar into the Heathcote River last Friday was a mischievous action by an intruder, the manager of the Christchurch Has, Coal and Coke Company (Mr E. F. Corman) said yesterday. Ile said this possibility was being investigated by the police.

The company’s yards extended over more than 13 acres and were virtually unprotectable, said Mr Gorman. A man patrolled them continually, but could not be everywhere at once.

During the last 12 months, there had been many cases of interference with the plant, he said. Valves had been opened, cocks closed, motors switched on and off. While it was possible that there had been a fault in mechanical equipment, he would stake his professional reputation that this was not the cause of Friday’s escape of tar, Mr Gorman said. The remaining possibility was that a valve that should have been left open might have been closed for a time, although when it was subsequently checked it was found to be open. “An erroneous act by some authorised person is still under investigation but is deemed to be unlikely,” said Mr Gorman.

He said that the valve was controlled by a wheel well off the ground and it could not have been moved accidentally. DEEPLY CONCERNED The company was deeply concerned about the mishap ( and was taking all the steps' within its power to determine the cause and prevent a re-1 currence, he said. I “We’ve spent thousands of jman-hours laying new pipes' and taking other measures to! try to prevent this sort of: thing happening,” Mr Gor-| man said. One of the difficulties was the presence of I

is large stocks of tar Some of I jit had been mixed with oil I and burned in the boilers. • and it was this relatively volatile form of tar which had escaped into the Heathcote River. The problems of controlling 'land disposing of the by-pro- ' I ducts formed when gas was ' I made from coal, and the pre- ■ sent happening in particular, i would influence the company jin its final decision whether II to abandon the use of coal 11 in favour of a petroleum product, said Mr Gorman. This I major change in process would remove a number of 'I environmental problems.