Rain

The weather condition and flood limited access to the site. The presence of floating hydrocarbons was noticed only several hours after their release.

On-site evacuation

Since the site was flooded, the spill went unnoticed for a while. The oil spill response was delayed.

No injuries.

Shore (e.g. beach, dune, marsh land)

A small quantity of hydrocarbon wastes reached a creek and the sea.

A team from the establishment was sent to collect the pollutants that contaminated the site and the nearby creek. The hazmat teams prevented the spreading of the hydrocarbons using containment booms and they collected the waste oil spilled on-site and off-site. The oil recovery operation was performed under the supervision of the authorities for environmental control and of the local fire department.

The incident highlighted the vulnerability of stormwater collection and wastewater treatment units.

Spill detection was delayed because of the intense rain and flooding. A better spill detection system is required for a prompt response.

The overflowing of a small local creek (Ugione) was the cause of the site flooding. The need to maintain the river banks and to reduce the flood risk for the community was acknowledged by the local authorities. Creek Ugione was in the list of watercourses that required maintenance but the works were not yet carried out when the accident occurred.

Weather monitoring failed to deliver a proper warning on the possibility of a flood event. As a result, both the community and the refinery were caught unprepared by the sudden flood. Early-warning systems networks should be improved.