No further action will be taken against the person or persons responsible for a gluten spill near the southbound Shoalhaven River bridge last week that led to massive traffic jams.
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In fact, authorities don't even know who is responsible.
Fairfax Media have spoken to NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), and none appear to know who is even responsible for the spill and say they aren’t even investigating to try and discover who might be the culprit.
Southbound traffic on the Princes Highway just north of the bridge last Wednesday, September 12, was disrupted for close to five hours as the clean-up took place.
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The spill happened around 11am.
It was originally thought the substance was concrete but was later confirmed it was gluten and once it hit the ground set with concrete like properties.
Roads and Maritime Services and Fire and Rescue NSW crews undertook the clean up.
A NSW Police spokesperson said they were not investigating the spill.
Fairfax Media understands Fire and Rescue NSW Shoalhaven undertook the clean up with RMS crews and will therefore have to bear that cost, which ultimately comes back to NSW taxpayers.
Despite the road being under RMS control, a spokesperson said the organisation was taking no further action and there “was no reason to follow up”.
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“Roads and Maritime Services was not involved in this incident,” the spokesperson said.
EPA media confirmed Fire and Rescue NSW managed the clean-up on site on the day but the organisation did not attend the scene.
“The EPA is not investigating this issue,” the spokesperson said “the incident did not result in environmental harm.”
The incident was compounded later in the afternoon when an accident on the northern bound bridge sent roads into chaos.
Motorists vented their fury to Fairfax Media with traffic reportedly queued back toward Bomaderry for five kilometres, and 1.5 kilometres at Bolong Road.
Motorist Hugh Barrett said it took him 1.5 hours to drive from North Nowra to the Shoalhaven River Bridge, while Gordy Mill who was also caught in the traffic said it took more than an hour to make the 2.4 kilometre drive between Meroo Road and Moss Vale Road.
The RMS’ website said fines for unsecured loads, having a load causing instability or overhanging or not removing or removing anything that has fallen onto the road are each $439 and three demerit points.
In this instance there is also the cost of the clean up.