Oil has been found downstream of the first containment site set up after this week’s leak from a pipeline near Scotland’s first national park.
Yesterday it was revealed here that residents and visitors had been relocated after the incident in Glen Fruin led to a major multi-agency response, while concerns were raised over the possible impact of pollution on wild salmon and trout spawning areas.
Authorities still say only ‘a small quantity of light crude oil’ has surfaced from the pipeline which links the Finnart terminal on Loch Long with the Grangemouth refinery.
The incident was reported on Tuesday and led to a large-scale response from Police Scotland, NHS Highland, SEPA and Argyll & Bute Council.
And today Shona McConnell, SEPA’s senior manager – environmental performance, said:
“Petroineos has containment and clean-up operations in place and SEPA officers attended the site again yesterday to carry out visual inspections, alongside assessments of ecology and water chemistry, following the rainfall on Wednesday January 3.
“At present we have no significant concerns with respect to environmental impact on the Fruin Water.
“However, whilst the containment measures are performing well a very slight amount of oil was detected immediately downstream of the first containment site.
“The operator has been requested to install further containment measures on the Fruin Water as an additional precautionary measure.
“SEPA are attending the site again today.
“We will continue to work closely with partners, including Argyll and Bute Council, to monitor the response and clean up for as long as needed. Our staff will continue to attend site as required.”
It is understood that two residents and 16 visitors have been relocated from neighbouring properties, while the A817 Haul Road was closed for several hours on Tuesday night and the single-track road leading to Glen Fruin from the A814 is still closed.
Nick Beevers, biologist at the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust, said the River Fruin – including the section beside the spill site – and its tributaries were a ‘crucial nursery and spawning river for salmon and sea trout’.
“Locally, salmon numbers are declining and the Loch Lomond (Leven) salmon population is very sensitive to human impacts,” he added.
“The effects of crude oil can be very harmful to all life-stages of fish and generally the wider aquatic and terrestrial environments and so we are very concerned.
“I have requested that SEPA inform me as to the plan for oil containment, and also, crucially, the plan to protect the fish eggs and redds (nests) in the river from the process of containing the oil (such as heavy plant, foot trampling and general disturbance), as soon as possible.”
Petroineos has not responded to a request for comment.
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