The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) yesterday served an ‘improvement’ notice to ExxonMobil, the operators of the West Tuna platform, located 45km off the Gippsland coast in Victoria, for failing to comply with their own regulations during an oil spill in February this year[1].
“It is outrageous that an oil company with a history of environmental accidents in Bass Strait is still getting such soft treatment from our oil regulator,” Greenpeace senior campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said.
“A member of the public would face a larger fine for not wearing their lifejacket while going fishing than ExxonMobil has received for failing to properly respond to an oil spill.
“ExxonMobil are a repeat-offender that has managed at least three incidents under their watch in the Strait since 2013, almost one a year.
“This should ring alarm bells right across Southern Australia as Chevron, the world’s biggest polluter, eyes oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight. If government agencies are perceived as impotent the public can’t have confidence in them to protect our waters and the fishers and other industries who rely on them.”
In September of 2015 an electrical fire broke out in the battery room of the rig[2]. Several workers were evacuated with the blaze taking more than nine hours to be contained. And in 2013 Exxon was responsible for a spill from another rig in the Bass Strait[3].
The NOPSEMA notice requires ExxonMobil to ensure staff are adequately trained on how to respond within 60 days.
“We know that not only was there a significant spill on the rig but that the staff then responded in the wrong way because Exxon didn’t have the right equipment and apparently hadn’t provided the necessary training for its workers ,” Pelle said.
“NOPSEMA has indicated that the platform remains a threat due to the lack of capacity to respond to a spill effectively.
“It begs the question: what if there’s another accident in the next two months? Will Exxon be able be able to deal with it?
“The breach in itself should justify a significant fine and a warning for ExxonMobil. But instead of punishing these companies for breaking their own rules and spilling oil into public waters the government are treating them like an old friend and letting them off completely.
“If NOPSEMA have any doubts about Esso’s staff on the West Tuna oil rig being properly trained on how to prevent and respond to spills they should demand an immediate halt to operations pending a review.
“Greenpeace are calling on NOPSEMA to let these companies know Australians won’t abide them breaking the rules and destroying our environment.
“And they should send this message in the only way big oil companies care about or understand - cost to the bottom line through a fine or limitation on operations.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
[1] https://www.nopsema.gov.au/news-and-media/nopsema-takes-interim-step-in-bass-strait-oil-sheen-investigation/
[2] http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2015/s4317908.htm
[3] http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/exxon-confirms-oil-spill-in-bass-strait-20130909-2tfr0.html
For interviews contact:
Simon Black
Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner
0418 219 086 / simon.black@greenpeace.org