RESIDENTS around the old Mobil petrol station site in Williamson Street were concerned there had been a chemical spill yesterday.
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Three people in white full-body suits, wearing breathing apparatuses, worked at the site.
Nearby resident Judith Lingard said she was worried by their presence, likening the scene to a “nuclear site”.
Mobil spokesman Alan Bailey said the staff were working to remove chemicals from the groundwater and soil. He said this had to be done at petrol station sites before the land could be reused or sold.
“The work going on now is basically to address impacts in the groundwater,” he said.
“That’s likely to continue and will be the focus of the remediation activity during the time we’re working on the site.”
The Environment Protection Agency will monitor the work and ensure all chemicals are removed from the soil and groundwater.
It’s believed Mobil staff from the US attended the site to view new technology that injects chemicals into the ground to break down the residual petroleum.