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Wednesday, March 27, 1974
The Commission found fault with the design of the sluice gate,
with the decision to leave it open despite instructions to the contrary,
and with the conditions of the ground, which should not have allowed
seepage into the subsoil.
Among its recommendations is a requirement for adequate investigation
of the underlying soil strata before construction of any major oil
storage installation.
The report also recommends the adoption of suitable materials and
construction methods to ensure that storage grounds are impervious to the
flow of liquids they are designed to contain, pointing out that regular
inspections should be conducted for this purpose.
Regular settlement records should be taken around the periphery
of each storage tank so that remedial action is taken as soon as defects
are detected.
In respect of the sluice gate, the report calls for adequately
designed gate valves, normally kept in the fully closed position, to control
rainwater drainage through the bund wall, and urges regular inspections to
maintain them in good working order.
The report recommends no changes in the existing legislation governing
oil storage. It states that as licensing authority, the Director of Fire
Services already exercises sufficient control with regard to fire risks.
It also finds that the necessary expertise to construct oil storage
facilities to internationally prescribed standards is mainly available
within international oil companies, which are usually sufficiently responsible
organisations equipped to install and operate such facilities.
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