THE site of an accident on the Princes Highway at Jaspers Brush that claimed the lives of two men in 2012 is undergoing a major environmental clean-up.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The accident near the intersection with Jaspers Brush Road between a utility and a tanker carrying ethanol from Bomaderry’s Manildra plant, resulted in the truck running off the road and flipping on its side.
One of the tanks ruptured, spilling ethanol onto the side of the highway near a watercourse.
Ulladulla man, Corey Gavin, 22, and Gordon Schey, 59, from Bradbury near Campbelltown died as a result of the accident.
An EPA spokesperson said at the time of the accident the EPA assisted Fire and Rescue NSW to implement environmental controls around the accident scene, where approximately 20,000 litres of ethanol had escaped.
“As a result of the environmental controls none of the ethanol reached local waterways, however the ethanol soaked into the soil adjacent to the accident site,” the spokesperson said.
A remedial action plan was negotiated with the transport company to design, implement and pay for this further clean-up.
The work involves digging up any soil impacted by the ethanol and letting it naturally break down by evaporation, then replacing the soil back on site when ethanol is no longer detected – a process known as land farming.
It is anticipated this process could take three to four months.