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HILLINGDON: Diesel slick in River Pinn
A diesel leak in a stretch of river of Eastcote has been traced back to a construction group working in the area.
The River Pinn in Lloyd Court has had a slick of diesel in it for weeks, and residents are fed up of the strong fumes.
The environment agency carried out an investigation after receiving various complaints and traced the leak back to a fuel tank owned by Kier Group who have been on site in West End Lane at the junction with Lloyd Court since December. The group was installing new bathrooms into homes in the street.
Maria Goodall from the environment Agency, said: "The source was found a couple of weeks ago, and has since been removed.
"Any ground contamination is being dug out, and we are removing any pollution on the surface water. It was only a small leak, and has not had that bad an impact so it should all be resolved in a couple of weeks. An investigation into the causes is currently ongoing."
But Margaret Sopp, of Cranbourne Drive lives adjacent to the part of the river where the slick is still visible and is unable to keep her back door open because of the smell.
The 83-year-old, said: "The smell is nasty. I have to keep the windows closed in the conservatory because if its open it smells so much.
"It is going to drive the fish and other wildlife away. Its not a pleasant place for them to live.
"For the time I have lived here I have never experienced any problems like this.
"I don't want to blame the builders but it has only happened since they came here."
Mrs Sopp told the Hillingdon Times she has lived in her home for ten years and says the smell is making it unpleasant to live there.
Mrs Sopp had a visit from an environment officer who is looking into the cause.
Richard Jackson, spokesman for Kier Group, said: "Working in consultation with the environmental agency we have put in place a clean up operation following a gas oil leak on site in Eastcote near a small local river.
"The cause was traced to a faulty seam on a fuel tank.
"Once Kier was aware of the situation a temporary repair was installed and the tank has now been removed."
Mr Jackson said that the soil where the oil had leaked has been dug up and removed and the clean-up operation is currently in on-going.
Booms have been put in place in the river to stop the slick of diesel spreading and is being removed by the environment agency.
9:08am Thursday 17th April 2008
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