OIL IN HARBOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22063, 20 March 1935, Page 14

OIL IN HARBOUR

DISCHARGE FROM VESSELS • • EXPERIENCE AT AUCKLAND At the request of the Marine Department, certain, facts relating to the pollution of the harbour by oil from .ships, will be forwarded to the department the Auckland Harbour Board for the- information of the League of Nations. Reporting uporr the points on which informatipn was sought, the harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, stated at yesterday's meeting of the board, that during the past seven years there had been a large number of instances of oil e!scaping from ships into the harbour, but only 18 had been definitely traced to particular ships and prosecutions had followed. Although there had been no actual cases of oil on the harbour becoming ignited, the danger was always prevalent. On the other hand a considerable amount of damage had been done to pleasure craft in the harbour, and some of the bathing beaches had been affected. There were no oil-separating plants in use all this port, Captain Sergeant continued, and no representations had been made to the board that one should be installed. From time to time considerable quantities "of oil had been washed up around the Hauraki Gulf, but there was no way of ascertaining how far :it had travelled It was decided to reply to the department in the terms of the harbourmaster's report.