Leakage problems under US military fuel tanks in Darwin persist

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The ABC can reveal groundwater is still leaking through the safety liner under multiple US military fuel tanks on Darwin harbour. The Northern Territory government approved all 11 tanks for operation in September, following years of delays due to design and construction failures.

Transcript

00:00UNLAWFULLY BUILT U.S. MILITARY FUEL TANKS ON DARWIN HARBOR

00:07STILL WITH MAJOR ISSUES, DESPITE BEING APPROVED FOR OPERATION LAST MONTH

00:12BY MINISTER JOSH BURGOIN.

00:14THE NT MINISTER, I THINK, HAS A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO.

00:18A DAY BEFORE THE TANKS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATION EXEMPTION

00:21AND SUBSEQUENT SIGN-OFF,

00:23EVIDENCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE MINISTER AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATOR

00:27SHOWING GROUNDWATER LEAKING INTO WHAT IS MEANT TO BE

00:31AN IMPERMEABLE SAFETY LINER UNDERNEATH THE TANKS.

00:34WE RAISED IT DIRECTLY WITH BOTH PARTIES

00:37AND THE NEXT DAY AN EXEMPTION WAS GIVEN.

00:40IF GROUNDWATER IS STILL LEAKING INTO THE TANKS

00:43THERE'S A VERY REAL CONCERN THAT THE TANKS CAN THEN LEAK INTO THE GROUNDWATER.

00:47THE NT'S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATOR RESPONDING TO THE CONCERNS

00:51WEEKS AFTER THE APPROVAL, DISCLOSING IT IS

00:55AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH INGRESS OF GROUNDWATER

00:58THROUGH THE RELEASE PREVENTION BARRIERS

01:00AND THAT OWNER OPERATOR CROWLEY

01:02IS UNDERTAKING REPAIR WORKS

01:04IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REPAIR DESIGN.

01:06JUST DAYS AFTER THE REGULATOR DISCLOSED THE REPAIR WORKS,

01:10MINISTER BURGOINE ANNOUNCED SOME TANKS HAD BEEN FILLED.

01:14A NUMBER, NOT ALL OF THEM,

01:15BUT THERE ARE SOME TANKS THAT HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH FUEL.

01:17AND HAVE SOME NOT BEEN FILLED WITH FUEL BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL

01:21REPAIRS HAPPENING?

01:22THAT'S NOT THE INFORMATION I HAVE TO HAND.

01:24WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER CERTIFY THOSE TANKS.

01:28IF IT'S THE CASE THAT MINISTER BURGOINE HAS MISLED THE PUBLIC

01:33ABOUT THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF THESE TANKS,

01:36THEN WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE A VERY SERIOUS MATTER INDEED.

01:39JOSH BURGOINE REFERRED THE ABC'S QUESTIONS ON TO CROWLEY,

01:43THE OPERATOR OF THE TANKS.

01:45IT'S SAID FOUR OF THE 11 TANKS HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH FUEL

01:48AND THE REMAINING SEVEN WILL BECOME OPERATIONAL IN STAGES.

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