OIL IN HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 150, 21 March 1931, Page 7

OIL IN HARBOUR

Wharf Pipe Bursts MASTER PROSECUTED Through the bursting of a pipe on the oil-tanker Athelqueen at Miramar wharf on Thursday, some three-quarters of a ton of petrol poured on to the decks, and bursting one of the plugs in the scuppers, flowed into the harbour. William Lancefield, master of the Athelqueen (Mr. Watson) was charged by the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. Stevenson) in the Police Court yesterday, under the Oil and Territorial Waters Act, 1926, with polluting the waters of the harbour. The vessel is to sail while Mr. E. Page, S.M., considers his decision. Mr. Stevenson explained that the Athelqueen on Thursday was discharging oil at the Miramar Wharf, when a member of the crew dropped an oil barrel which broke a valve in a pipe, and allowed fuel oil to escape. About a ton of this got through the scuppers into the harbour. The offence was regarded as serious, as on previous occasions oil had got into the sand of the beaches and into the boat harbour. Escaped oil had on one occasion got into the power house at Evans Bay. The captain of the Athelqueen, on arriving at Wellington, had been served with a notice that proper precautions must be taken to prevent oil from escaping into the harbour. The charge was laid under Section 3, and this provided that if oil was allowed to escape from a vessel the captain was liable. In this case there was negligence, as it was dangerous to discharge oil near scuppers which were not effectually blocked up. Due to Accident. Mr. Watson, for the defence, submitted that no offence had been committed under section 3of the Act. No oil had been allowed to escape. The occurrence had been due solely to an accident. The wharfinger at 'Miramar, who was in charge, had admitted that he had ispected the plugging of the scuppers on the oiltanker, and had seen nothing to complain of. It was the unusual pressure resulting from the broken pipe which had caused the scupper plug to give way. Some three-quarters of a ton of oil unfortunately did escape into the harbour, but as soon ts this occurred everythig possible was done to minimise the trouble. Men had been put over the side to gather up as much of the oil on the surface of the water as possible and quantities of sawdust were then strewn on the water to soak up as much of the oil as possible. The scupper had not been blocked with cement before the house had been built The magistrate, after hearing the evidence, said he would like to consider the legal aspect. He thought he would be safe in letting the ship go. Mr. Watson explained that the Athelqueen was under charter to the Union Steam Ship Co., and would be back under charter to the same company in a few months’ time. He gave an undertaking hat any penalty which the court might inflict would be paid.