CPCL Denies That it Was Fully Responsible

Chennai: The public sector Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), which was fully blamed for the Ennore Creek oil spill that caused a major environmental hazard to North Chennai in the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung, denied that all that oil and sledge that polluted the water bodies and the coastal areas had leaked out of their plant in Manali.

In a bid to dispel the impression that it was a leak from CPCL plant that caused the massive sledge in the Buckingham Canal, River Kosasthalaiyar and Ennore Creek, top honchos of the organization met select journalists at their office in Chennai to explain their position vis-à-vis the pollution and give details of their contribution to the massive cleaning up operation that was still on.

The main contention of CPCL managing director Aravind Kumar and Director (Technical) H Sankar was that they had no pipelines carrying oil to leak, as it was alleged initially, and that the refined crude oil might have mixed with the water flowing into the water bodies when their premises was flooded following heavy rains and the storage tanks got immersed.

Otherwise, there was no scope for any crude oil from their facilities to mix with the water outside, they claimed, adding that since there were a plethora of companies dealing with and storing petroleum products and other chemicals in the Manali region, it was not right to put the entire blame on CPCL without a proper study.

The sludge that was being cleared from the polluted waters and also the villages near the Ennore Creek had traces of grease and phenyl, which were substance that had nothing to do with the CPCL facility in Manali that went under water following the heavy rains on December 4 and 5, they said.

In fact, it was CPCL that brought in the skimmers to remove the sludge soon after it was noticed and started the mitigation work ahead of the launch of the present cleaning operation, they said.

The State department of Environment, Climate Change and Forest (ECCF) secretary Supriya Saha made an exhaustive review of the mitigation work which was being carried out in coordination with CPCL, Coast Guard, State departments of health, revenue, fisheries and fire and rescue and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on Monday.

After taking a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the oil spill on mangroves in the Ennore Creek area, the department was in the process of preparing a plan for restoration with the support of the Anna University’s Centre for Environmental Studies and M S Swaminathan Foundation.

An official press release from the ECCF department said that the four specialize cleaning agencies engaged in the cleaning operation – Sea Care and Viraj from Mumbai and Vens Hydralift Pvt Ltd and Neowin India Ltd – had almost completed the removal of floating oil and had started clearing oil deposits from shores, boulders and debris.

Beach cleaning had been completed in Nettukuppam, Ennore Kuppam ad Mugaghuvaram Kuppam with the major oil clearing operation involved the engagement of 700 people, 110 boats, 3 skimmers, 2 hydrojet, 5 gully sucker, 1 tractor, 11 tipper, 5 poclains and 7 JCBs.