Richmond fuel spill was deliberate: TDC

A ‘‘significant amount’’ of fuel found in Richmond’s stormwater system was intentionally dumped there.

Richmond resident Harry Pearson said he was cycling near the waterway running along Beach Rd about 5pm on Sunday when he ‘‘got this bad whiff’’.

‘‘It smelled like diesel fumes coming from the stream.’’

Pearson investigated the smell and found the water covered in a sheen of oil. He contacted the Tasman District Council.

TDC spokesman Chris Choat said that by the time a council team got there, the oil had mostly dissipated thanks to the rainy weather and natural evaporation.

‘‘A lot of it evaporates or breaks down naturally because it is a hydrocarbon. Hopefully, it’s done so without harming too much of the environment in the process,’’ he said.

‘‘You can use some dissipators, which [council respondents] did use, to aid its breakdown, but . . . until it’s broken, it is still a harmful product.’’

Choat said the oil appeared to have been purposefully dumped into the stormwater system, which he likened to ‘‘setting your own house on fire’’.

‘‘That waterway is an endpoint for a lot of water in Richmond, which leads to the next question – which is no, there’s very little chance of us finding out who did it.’’

He said there were ways to safely dispose of fuels, oils and other potentially environmentally damaging liquids without dumping them into wastewater.

‘‘Stormwater drains are not sinks, they’re not a wastewater system, and they’re certainly not a system for pouring fuel or paints or any dangerous liquids into, because they go to the sea. It is disappointing.

‘‘If people wish to know how to dispose of excess diesel oil or like products, give the council a call.’’