Fuel Woes Prompt Soil Tests

Illawarra Mercury

Monday February 4, 2008

By MICHELLE HOCTOR

AN eight-tonne pile of soil is being investigated for fuel contamination and possible environmental damage at Jamberoo.

The soil is at the back of the Jamberoo Service Centre, which has also been linked to the breakdown of up to 70 vehicles that have filled up at the station.

Station operator Paul Williams said he had been battling with the property's owner Sam Sutera to remove the soil, but the requests have been rejected.

"Every time it rains we get a slither of diesel coming down all over the driveway, into the gutter and into our lovely water ecosystem," he said.

Mr Williams said the soil was removed when a 70-year-old diesel tank was replaced in 2006, after it was found to be leaking fuel.

"I knew the tank was leaking, from the complaints. Customers just kept complaining their trucks and vehicles were breaking down."

Mr Williams said he had tested the fuel and syphoned 120 litres of water from the diesel tank, leading him to believe the tank was being flooded underground.

After 14 months of complaining, Mr Sutera agreed to replace the tank, he said.

"When the tank came up, you should have seen the holes in it."

In August last year, Mr Williams said he discovered the unleaded tank was also leaking fuel and taking in water.

He has since switched his supply to a 9000 litre premium fuel tank, while asking that this tank also be replaced.

In the interim, he has called on Kiama Municipal Council and the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change to intervene.

Councillor Trevor Fredericks, who operates a general store just down from the station in Allowrie St, said that while it was the environmental issue that most concerned him, he believed at least 70 cars had broken down after filling up at the station.

"For a while there, cars were just stopping everywhere. People were paying $2000 to $3000 to get their cars repaired," he said.

It's a claim Mr Williams has backed.

"A few people didn't even get out of the driveway," he said.

"I've fixed a lot of the cars. Once we knew of the problem, we closed the bowser down."

He said motorists' claims for compensation were now bouncing back and forth between his and Mr Sutera's solicitors.

Mr Sutera said he was not aware of a problem with either the soil or vehicles breaking down after filling up at the station.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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