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Barrels On Beaches picsearch.com Drums of chemicals washed up on beaches across Bass Coast prompted a quick response from the CFA and Bass Coast Shire Council. By Bass Coast Shire Council - 21st May 2009 - Back to News
The drums contained carbon cleaner, a product used to remove carbon build up in engine rooms and industrial kitchens.
Chief Executive Officer, Allan Bawden, confirmed that Council received calls from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to remove drums from beaches near Wonthaggi and Cape Paterson.
"Council staff responded to a call to remove a drum from Wilson Road, between Cape Paterson and Harmer’s Haven, while the CFA responded to a similar incident at the Williamsons Beach car park," explained Mr Bawden.
"At both sites, people were exposed to the chemical. Our staff members who attended the Cape Paterson incident were taken to hospital for a precautionary assessment, after they came into direct contact with the contents and fumes."
Mr Bawden said that the EPA and CFA were the lead agencies in these situations.
"Council staff do not have the training or equipment to deal with hazardous chemicals," explained Mr Bawden.
"This incident today has highlighted some shortcomings in our internal system, as our staff should not have attempted to move the drum at Cape Paterson.
"They should have secured the area and organised for the CFA, who are qualified to deal with these situations, to attend.
"We will certainly be reviewing our processes to ensure any future incidents are handled appropriately. We are very relieved that none of our staff were injured."
Mr Bawden said that Council were assisting with transporting the drums to a secure location.
"We are very concerned with the impact on our environment and local community, so our staff are helping to transport the drums to secure Parks Vic depots," said Mr Bawden.
"This spate of incidents highlights the need to have EPA officers located in regional areas.
"It also highlights how important it is to have a clear process in place which shows which agency is responsible for taking the lead role on these issues."
Mr Bawden said Council’s Emergency Management Coordinator would be talking to other councils to see what processes they had in place for similar situations. The EPA will be conducting an investigation into where the drums came from.
"We have no information on where these drums have come from and I don’t think it is useful to speculate at this stage," Mr Bawden said.
A further drum of chemicals washed up at Smiths Beach this morning. A group of school children at the beach were possibly exposed to the chemicals and were treated on site as a precaution.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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