Quail Island for L.P.G.?

Press, 14 August 1982, Page 6

Quail Island for L.P.G.?

Liquefied petroleum gas tankers at Quail Island rather than at the Lyttelton oil wharf would be 100 times safer for Lyttelton area residents, the Commission of Inquiry into' the proposed L.P.G. pipeline heard yesterday.

Moving . . the proposed L.P.G, unloading site to Quail Island would considerably reduce the risk associated with the tankers. Mr B. R. Williamson told the commission.. .

The commission is considering plans by Liquigas. Ltd, to transport liquid petroleum gas through a pipeline from a berth in Lyttelton for bulk storage in Woolstom A graduate student at the Centre for Resource Manage-

ment at Lincoln College. Mr Williamson appeared as a witness for the Lyttelton Borough Council, an objector to the company’s proposal. ,"The transport and storage of large quantities of L.P.G. near populated areas introduces the potential for catastrophic mishaps,” • Mr Williamson said.

A sensible policy for reducing the potential of a mishap was'"remote siting.”

The Arthur D. Little report, prepared for the Liquigas company, stated that “at a -distance 'of Ikm from a L.P.G. site, individual off-site risk levels were reduced by at least two orders.of magnitude.”

The site on the northern tip of Quail Island suggested

to him by Lyttelton Borough councillors, was I.skm from the nearest house, said Mr Williamson. “It is therefore reasonable to assume that the site would decrease the level of individual risk for the most exposed individual (excluding employees) by at least 100fold.” he said. There was still some risk of a mishap at an installation on the island. The tanker carrying L.P.G. would pass the port when entering the harbour and pass within 650 metres of Naval Point.

The Quail Island site would be far enough from the port to eliminate damage to the community from gas vapours? However, there was a danger of vapour from the

tanker in the harbour reaching parts of the Lyttelton township as it passed the port.

It was not possible to say the island site was “totally safe,” said Mr Williamson. "The potential for off-site damage would still exist but greatly diminished." If released L.P.G. rapidly vapourised to a highly flammable and ' explosive gas. and near a populated area many deaths and injuries could result, he said. “In view of the potential for large numbers of fatalities in the unlikely event of a mishap at the oil wharf site alternative sites outside the inner harbour should be utilised if possible.” Mr Williamson said.