BUNCEFIELD Northgate and 3Com move back to Maylands following depot explosion
New home for blast firms
TWO major Hemel Hempstead companies have committed their future to the town following the Buncefield disaster after striking a deal to move into the plush Peoplebuilding in Maylands.
Northgate Information Solutions and 3Com, both IT firms, were forced to move out of their Hemel Hempstead offices after the buildings were devastated by December's gigantic blast.
The two firms have shifted operations to the futuristic Peoplebuilding while a decision is taken on whether to rebuild their old offices.
The new arrivals will take Peoplebuilding, completed in 2002, up to full capacity following international software firm Temenos moving in last September.
News of the move provides a well-timed boost to Hemel Hempstead's business community following fears of a mass exodus after Buncefield.
Council chiefs are concerned businesses on Maylands are facing a crunch decision time as short-term temporary leases come up for renewal.
Just last month distribution firm Lane Group announced it was leaving the town because of damage done to its premises in the blast.
The company's announcement leaves up to 85 jobs hanging in the balance.
Meanwhile business chiefs met with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) representatives yesterday (Tuesday) to get an update on how the blast investigation is going.
Head of the inquiry, Lord Newton, attended the Maylands Taskforce meeting held at Peoplebuilding to respond to the concerns of companies affected by the blast.
The taskforce, comprising business leaders on the industrial estate, was set up early last year to look at ways to regenerate Maylands.
After the meeting an HSE spokesman told The Gazette that a third report on the disaster, detailing how fuel escaped from its container, was close to completion.
Meanwhile a special report into the economic impact of the Buncefield disaster is due to be published shortly.
A Buncefield Community Debrief is being held at LeisureWorld next Wednesday (May 3).
The event, being held at the Lava and Ignite nightclubs, will feature a question and answer session while representatives from Citizens Advice, the Mayor's Fund and the HSE inquiry board will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.
The event is open to all, doors open at 6.30pm with the main meeting getting under way at 7.30pm.
Updates, April 12
Drinking water is safe - despite levels of underground contamination
Borehole guided stream of pollution deep into ground
SPECIAL REPORTS
by Victoria West
HIGHLY-polluted water, which escaped from Buncefield during the fire-fighting operation, gushed into a deep borehole in Cherry Tree Lane, a new report revealed yesterday.
The so-called firewater, mixed with fuel, flowed into the 40 metre deep hole, located inside a chamber within a road drain, and flowed directly into the chalk aquifer which holds water for the area.
Experts are taking samples of ground water and testing the nearby River Ver and River Colne every two weeks, but they will not know the full impact of the contamination for months or even years.
The revelations come in the latest progress report by the Buncefield Investigation team.
Environment manager for the Environment Agency Colin Chiverton said: “It looks like contaminated water has run into the borehole in Cherry Tree Lane. There has been some water and oil mixture removed from there. What we need to understand is how far it has gone and what the impact is.”
However, he said the key message was that drinking water is safe. All water is treated and monitored before being supplied to our taps.
If contamination is discovered Three Valleys Water may have to take extra precautions when treating drinking water. Depending on the extent of contamination some water may even be untreatable and will be wasted.
Some road drains were submerged in the firewater and fuel mixture. Environment experts are using special cameras to find out where the drains and pipework lead.
Mr Chiverton said: “Lots of samples are being taken and analysed by our laboratories.
“I envisage we are going to be monitoring for months and months and there really isn't a time scale that we can put on it. It could well be years that we continue to monitor.
“Part of our job is to monitor ground water anyway.
“We have monitored it for years beforehand and we will continue to monitor it for years afterwards. All the time we continue to monitor we will be looking with closer scrutiny at this site to see if there are any effects.”
During the blaze a huge pool of fire and fuel water, which leaked from protective bunds, gathered in Cherry Tree Lane.
The pool, which contaminated the soil was about 200 metres in length and between 10 and 20 metres wide.
The liquid was removed by tankers in January, but the area is still cordoned off, as contaminated soil will have to be removed as part of the massive clean up operation.
Mr Chiverton said: “At the moment we can't say whether it is dangerous, but the area continues to be cordoned off. There is no access and we won't allow access unless we are happy it has been cleaned up properly.”
It is the responsibility of the oil companies to clean up any contaminated areas, including Cherry Tree Lane and the oil depot. One option being considered is to skim off the top 30cm of contaminated soil, which will be disposed of.
Contaminated water from Buncefield contains toxic perflouroctane sulphonate, a surfactant added to the fire-fighting foam used to extinguish the fire, to aid it spreading.
Hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have also been
found. These are a group of chemicals found in residues from burning coal, fuel and oil.
Mr Chiverton, said that we are exposed to these chemicals when smoking, refilling our cars at a petrol station and
when having a barbecue.
Damaged bunds allowed leakages
PROTECTIVE bunds used around fuel tanks are being examined in depots across the country, following the Buncefield disaster.
The concrete bunds, surrounding tanks at Buncefield Oil Depot were damaged by the blaze and massive explosions, allowing fuel and contaminated water to flood the site and run into Cherry Tree Lane.
The site drains in the direction of Cherry Tree Lane, causing a huge pool of fuel and fire water to build up there, which contaminated the soil.
Bunds around fuel tanks are designed to hold fuel if there is a leak in a tank, which can help to contain the spread of a fire.
Sealant, used where the concrete panels of the bunds joined at Buncefield, was damaged by the fire and pressure, allowing fuel and water to escape.
Taf Powell the Buncefield investigation manager said: “It is hard to know whether bunding can be constructed to give a guarantee against an event the size of Buncefield, although that has got to be a very important area of further work. The fact is the explosions at Buncefield did a lot of damage.”
Inspections are being carried out by the HSE and Environment Agency to look at the design of bunds at about 100 different fuel depots around the country.
Mr Powell said: “Bund design may well need to be changed. I'm quite sure site operators are thinking for themselves whether their bunds are suitable as apparatus and being properly maintained on site.”
He added: “The design disaster scenario at Buncefield was for a fire in one of those tanks - the anticipated worst case scenario. The explosion altered that scenario and undoubtedly had an effect on the overall fire.”
He said that they have no reason to believe that the bunds were defective and not performing their design intent before the blaze.
Fire fighters battling the inferno at Buncefield also worked to contain fuel and contaminated water. Mr Powell said: “A lot more would have escaped beyond recovery if it had not been for the efforts of the fire service to contain it. The fire and rescue service did a great job.”
Closer to cause
EXPERTS hope they will be able to reveal what caused the initial Buncefield explosion in a month's time.
Computer records and CCTV images are being analysed by specialists to find out how fuel escaped from the HOSL site, vapourised to form a flammable mixture and then ignited, causing a massive explosion.
Buncefield investigation manager Taf Powell said: “We still hope there could be another progress report in a month's time, which reveals the most important fact - how the vapour of flammable mixture occurred in the first place. We are getting closer and closer to that now.”
Experts examining computer records recovered from damaged buildings inside Buncefield Depot say records have revealed important information about fuel levels in tanks, flow rates and valve positions.
Clean up continues
BUNCEFIELD oil companies are looking at ways of disposing of millions of litres of firewater removed from the site after the blaze.
Twelve million litres of contaminated water is stored at Maple Lodge Sewage Treatment works near Rickmansworth and four million litres is contained at Blackbirds Treatment near Radlett.
Environment manager for the Environment Agency Colin Chiverton said the oil companies are looking into ways of extracting pollutants, including fuel and fire fighting foam, from the water.
The chemicals could be disposed of by high temperature incineration, leaving the rest of the water to be treated and released back into rivers.
Mr Chiverton said: “We will only allow that if their proposals won't impact on the environment.”
Update, April 5:
BUNCEFIELD Blaze did not affect water ban
WATER used to put out the Buncefield blaze was not taken into consideration when Three Valleys Water decided to impose a hosepipe ban.
A spokesman from the water company said that the extra water used did not impact on the need for a hosepipe ban.
She said: “It is purely because of the drought situation. The whole of the South East of England is in the same situation. We have had 15 months of below average rainfall, that is the only reason we have had to introduce the ban.”
The water company is obliged to provide water for fire fighting purposes and will not be charging any company or organisation for the water use.
Three Valleys Water was putting out an extra 15 million litres of water per day during the blaze to help Hertfordshire fire fighters to combat the inferno.
Eco blast report made public
A REPORT looking into the impact that Buncefield has had on the local environment will be released by the Environment Agency next week.
Issues that the Environment Agency has been looking at since the explosions, such as the possibility of water contamination and the
effects of the plume of smoke created by the blaze, will be addressed.
The investigation board overseeing the HSE and Environment Agency investigations has ruled that the findings of the Environment Agency so far should be made public.
The report will be published on Tuesday, April 11.
Firemen inspire Easter artwork
THE BRAVE fireman who tackled the Buncefield blaze inspired one young school pupil to make her Easter egg into a thank you for the hard work they did.
The pupils at Brockswood Primary School, in Woodhall Farm, Hemel Hempstead, created an Easter display, before setting off for their annual break.
Ten-year-old Shannon Girvan made a sculpture of firemen putting out the burning cylinders at Buncefield, which was highly commended by the headmistress, Margaret Lewis.
She said: “This year the standard of the children's eggs was very high and the best one was Shannon's Buncefield egg, because it was brilliant, so simple yet effective.”
Like many people in Hemel Hempstead last December, Shannon, from Grovehill, was frightened by the blast and watched the firemen courageously work to put it out.
She said: “I just wanted to say thank you to all the firemen. My mum helped me hard-boil the egg and then I used felt to make the firemen's costumes, made tanks on fire and hose pipes of water.”
The children also made Easter bonnets at home and brought them in to school for a parade, which was judged by the school cook, Tracey Wyatt.
Update, March 29
Residents smelt fuel vapour, but claim their concerns have been ignored for years Investigators grilled over depot
A THIRD of almost 100 residents, at a packed public meeting called by safety investigators, had smelt fuel from Buncefield oil depot, at some stage before the blasts.
The revelation was made with a show of hands, during the gathering at Leverstock Green Village Hall this week, when health and safety chiefs investigating the disaster faced people whose lives had been affected by the explosions.
One householder said he had been trying for years to get oil companies and local councils to take action.
Monday’s meeting was the second in a series between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and residents who challenged the investigators on a number of issues.
Questions put to the HSE chiefs included:
-
Why have oil companies still not admitted responsibility for the disaster?
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Why has a public inquiry not been launched?
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Who carried out risk assessments at Buncefield before the December blasts?
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Why was the fuel leak that caused the explosion not spotted sooner?
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Have underground oil pipelines been checked for damage since the blasts?
Is the HSE investigation team getting the full co-operation of the oil companies?
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Why were back-up copies of data about fuel levels at the depot not kept off site?
Evacuated resident Bill Burgar, formerly of Cherry Trees Lane, also challenged the HSE investigators over the issue of fuel vapour clouds.
He said: “The board seem to be making assumptions that vapour clouds are not common, but in my experience that is grossly untrue.
“You were very lucky to see the vapour cloud, (at the Buncefield depot), on CCTV because atmospheric conditions conspired to allow you to see it.
“Regularly throughout the year at my property, 500ft from the depot, we couldn't go outside for more than five minutes without feeling nauseous.
“I think you need to be talking to local residents around the country who know the amount of fuel coming off these sites.”
He added: “I tried since 1997 to get the oil companies and two councils to take notice.
“The key point is you expect the operators to self-regulate. You need to look at the attitude of the oil companies.”
A show of hands revealed that one third of residents gathered in the community centre had smelt fuel at some point prior to the disaster.
In response to Mr Burgar's questions, HSE investigator David Ashton said the HSE team were taking an open-minded approach to the incident.
He said: “There are some fascinating and very curious aspects to this incident.
“We're very curious to know how oil companies took care of their duties and we're also very curious to see how the HSE and Environment Agency carried out their duties.”
In response to questions about a public inquiry, chair of the HSE investigation, Lord Newton, said:
“This board is bringing a genuinely independent spirit to the investigation, undertaking challenging questions.”
He added that it is still possible there may be a public inquiry in the future.
On-site investigator Bob Woodward said the HSE team had 'by and large' received information about the Buncefield site from oil companies as requested.
He said: “We require huge amounts of information and we're hungry for information.”
Head of the HSE investigation, Taf Powell, conceded that not all information from the depot was backed up in off-site files.
Mr Powell explained that many files had already been recovered and copied for possible use as evidence, but that the process was slow.
He said: “This is a criminal investigation and if there are areas not covered, that becomes a weakness in the case.”
Mr Powell added that the nature of the case meant the HSE team could not discuss who was responsible for the fuel leak that caused the depot disaster.
Speaking about why the vapour cloud was not spotted sooner, Lord Newton said: “The board has looked at the CCTV footage and it looks like any other sort of mist.”
In response to questions about risk assessments, the HSE team told residents that checks had been carried out at the Buncefield site prior to the blasts, although discussions over safety issues were ongoing with the main operator – Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd.
The team also said that following the disaster, the oil companies had been told to investigate any damage to underground pipelines.
Legal team granted site survey permission
THE LEGAL team representing residents and businesses affected by the Buncefield disaster was this week granted permission to send an independent forensic expert onto the sealed-off fuel depot site.
Collins Solicitors, based in Watford, was given the go-ahead for the independent investigator by the main site owner, Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited (HOSL) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The move follows a High Court hearing concerning the Buncefield disaster, on March 17, at which a senior judge called for cooperation between oil companies and solicitors representing those affected by the fuel depot blasts.
Solicitor at Collins Bill McGrath said: “It's a very positive outcome and arrangements are now in place for a forensic expert to undertake a site inspection on behalf of the claimants.
“Since the explosion, the site has remained sealed under the exclusive control of HSE, which has been reluctant to allow third party inspections.
“At least now, with the pressure of a group litigation order, the doors are starting to prise open.”
Mr McGrath said no date had yet been set for the independent forensic expert’s first visit to the depot site, but he hoped it would be within weeks.
The firm’s senior partner Des Collins said that it was hoped the forensic expert could collect independent evidence for use in a report on behalf of the claimants.
In a statement a spokesman for HOSL said: “The HSE are in control of the Buncefield site, and on 16th December the HSE issued formal prohibition notices on both HOSL and the British Pipeline Agency Limited, requiring that the site be left undisturbed.
“That remains the situation today and all access to the site is strictly controlled by the HSE.”
He added: “HOSL is committed to constructive, efficient and coordinated discussions with solicitors representing the local residents and insurers and will continue to work closely with them.
“All correspondence with Collins Solicitors is being conducted by HOSL's appointed legal representatives, and it is not appropriate for us to comment on the details at this stage.”
Blast blamed for rent increases
BUSINESSES in the Hemel Hempstead area are facing increased rents as high demand for industrial units continues, months after the Buncefield disaster.
Property experts estimate that on average, rents for industrial units in and around Hemel Hempstead have increased by between five and 10 per cent since the fuel depot blasts – up to almost three times the rate of inflation.
This week it emerged that in Bourne End businesses are facing increases in rents of up to 100 per cent, with some forced to move out of Hemel Hempstead.
Partner at chartered surveyors Freeth Melhuish, Trevor Church, said: “Even before Buncefield there was not a lot of industrial property on the market.
“After the blasts the supply diminished, the demand increased and so the price went up.
“In general terms industrial rents in Hemel Hempstead have hardened by around five to 10 per cent, but I'm not convinced that it will remain the case.”
Businesses on the Bourne End Industrial Estate this week claimed they are facing increases in rents of up to 100 per cent, as a direct consequence of the Buncefield disaster.
Philip Smitten, owner of Smitten Transport, said the rent for his company's base has more than doubled from around £4.90 per square ft to around £10 per square ft in the last month.
He said: “It's unbelievable. In February the agents Collier & Madge sent us a letter asking if we wanted to renew our lease, but they've waited until the end of the lease to increase the rent.
“If Buncefield hadn't happened the rents would have gone up, but they wouldn't have doubled.
“It's pure blackmail – we don't want to move out of Hemel Hempstead, but I think there are some businesses that have already gone.”
One such business, Greenflow Auto Fuel Systems Ltd, moved from another property, let by Collier & Madge on the Bourne End estate, to a cheaper unit in Watford earlier this month.
The London-based agents, Collier & Madge, however, insisted that increases to rents on the Bourne End estate were unconnected to the Buncefield disaster.
Collier and Madge director Paul Holmes said: “The rents aren't going up by any particular degree – all we've done is gone from net to all-inclusive rents.
“Before we were charging a net rent with service charges and security charges on top.
“To aid cashflow we've switched to all-inclusive, but there is no link to Buncefield.”
So lovely to be home
A FAMILY of nine are happy to be back in their own beds at their Leverstock Green home more than three months after the Buncefield disaster.
Heidi and Carl Brazier had been staying at the Holiday Inn Hotel with their seven children after the depot blasts caused massive structural damage to their Clinton End home.
They spent Christmas at home, but had to move out in January after cracks were discovered in the brickwork of the four bedroom house.
The Brazier family started moving their belongings out from storage on Thursday, March 23 and moved home at the weekend.
Mum Heidi said: “It is a lovely feeling to be home. The feeling on the first night when we got into our own beds was indescribable, but it has been a mammoth job. It is just like moving home. It is brilliant, but very stressful.”
The couple with seven children aged between one and 16-years-old spent eight and a half weeks at the Holiday Inn in Breakspear Way - the same place they held their wedding reception in 2003.
It is estimated that the family has run up a bill of about £20,000 in accommodation charges and about £3,000 in food bills during their stay.
Most of the cost has been covered by their home insurer.
When the family moved out of their home in January builders immediately erected scaffolding and have worked flat out to complete major repairs.
Every window apart from two in the house and the front door has been replaced. Resin was injected into the property to repair cracks, part of the rear gable had to be rebuilt, walls had to be plastered, ceilings repaired and every room redecorated.
Builders have still got more work to do including plastering and decorating the utility room, repairs in one of the bedrooms and work in the kitchen.
Heidi said: “I don’t think the builders themselves are getting the praise they deserve. The builders only have so many hours in the day.”
When Heidi started moving their property back home last week, the head builder greeted her with a bouquet of flowers to welcome her home.
Now the family is looking forward to a well-earned two week break in Cuba next month (April).
Heidi said: “It will be nice to get away from everything we have had to deal with. Although it means another hotel, we will be completely detached. It is going to be a well needed rest.”
Builders will be continuing repairs in the house while the family is away.
BACK AT LAST AFTER BUNCEFIELD BLAST
Thursday, March 23: A family of nine have started moving back into their Leverstock Green home today (Thursday, March 23) more than three months after the Buncefield disaster.
Heidi and Carl Brazier have been staying at the Holiday Inn with their seven children after the depot blasts caused major structural damage to their Clinton End home.
They spent Christmas at home but had to move out in January after major cracks were discovered in the brickwork of the four-bedroom house.
The family is part of a 146 strong group of victims being represented by experts Collins Solicitors, who launched a law suit for compensation against depot owners Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd at the High Court.
At a hearing on Friday, March 17 the application for a group litigation order - being brought by individuals, companies and insurers - was adjourned until October.
METAL FIRM'S STEELY RESOLVE
Friday, March 3: A Hemel Hempstead-based sheet metal firm has struck a deal to have its premises rebuilt following damage caused in the Buncefield blast.
PCD Products Ltd, based in Maxted Road, will have its existing building demolished and replaced with a brand new 18,000 sq ft building constructed by Jarvis.
The project is due for completion in autumn this year.
Meanwhile another Maylands company Katco, which supplies electrical insulation materials, has committed its future to the area by moving to plush new premises in the industrial area.
The firm is set to move to Finway Road from Eastman Way after buying a 10,000 sq ft unit for more than £900,000.
Sunday, February26
Local MP Mike Penning has been to see the WRVS and the Salvation Army to thanks themforthe part they played in helping during the Buncefield explosion.
LINK: To see pictures of the visits by Mr Penning, click here
Wednesday, February 21
Buncefield investigators reveal how blast occurred but NOT what caused it
A MYSTERIOUS vapour cloud that seeped out from a fuel storage area is understood to have led to the massive Buncefield blast.
Over the course of 23 minutes before the huge detonation, the mist - a volatile mixture of fuel and water vapour - flowed 'like water' over an area of up to 200m.
Investigators have pieced together the events leading up to the disaster using eye witness reports, CCTV pictures and forensic material.
But though it is now known how the blast happened, it is still not clear what caused the vapour cloud to ignite.
A progress report on the inquiry into the cause of Europe's biggest peacetime fire was unveiled yesterday at the Old Town Hall in the High Street.
Buncefield investigation manager Taf Powell said: "What is so surprising is this flammable mixture flowed so quickly that within 23 minutes it had progressed to the extent it had.
"The precise cause and mechanism of the fuel release is unclear.
"The most plausible scenarios are the large-scale loss of containment of tanks or pipe work."
It has been revealed that fuel was being pumped into the tanks where the mist was spotted at the time of the disaster.
Mr Powell did not rule out the possibility that a tank overflowed during this process and he said damaged computer equipment from the site is currently being examined for this and other data.
Mr Powell explained how at 5.38am a low-lying mist was seen flowing from Bund A towards the west.
The tanks are sited in walled enclosures, known as bunds, designed to contain any spillages.
The vapour cloud was a combination of condensed air, which gave it a misty appearance, and evaporated fuel.
The mist stretched as far as Three Cherry Trees Lane and spread around the buildings of Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Ltd, Northgate Information Systems and Catherine House, which all bore the brunt of the explosion.
Eye witnesses reported a 'thick fog' near Fuji's car park that was up to 20ft high.
Motorists reported car engines revving uncontrollably, running roughly and stalling and there was a strong smell.
The weather conditions are also thought to have contributed to the formation of the mist, with very cold and still air as well as high humidity.
What remains unclear is what caused the fog to ignite, though this is believed to have taken place in the vicinity of Fuji's car park.
The Buncefield inquiry is a joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency.
Lord Newton, who is chairing the inquiry, said: "It is not clear what point in time we will be able to establish the next stage, which is what caused this to explode.
"We don't know the physics of how this liquid turned into a cloud. This is not a usual type of explosion."
It has also emerged that the HSE investigated a 'small leak' from the BP-owned part of the Buncefield site a month before the disaster.
The progress report reveals the full environmental impact of the disaster has yet to be assessed.
Thousands of residents were evacuated during the disaster and some families are still unable to return to their damaged homes.
The premises of 20 businesses on the Maylands Industrial Estate were destroyed in the blast with another 60 under repair and not yet usable.
A total of 43 people were injured but miraculously no one was killed.
Tuesday, February 21:
A PROGRESS report into the cause of the Buncefield Oil Disaster at Hemel Hempstead has described how a massive cloud of explosive vapour built up around the site prior to the blast.
Investigators say they are not in a psoition to say exactly how the explosion occurred on December 11 but were able to give graphic accounts of the moments leading up to it.
These were aided by CCTV footage from the site itself and eyewitness accounts.
The report says: "Evidence so far points to the formation of a flammable mixture of petrol, or similar spirit, and air that ignited, leading to the explosions and fire.
"The flammable mixture appears associated with a visible mist."
Buncefield Investigation Manager Taf Powell says that the first indication of anything unusual was at 5.38am - 23 minutes before the explosion when a light mist is seen flowing from inside one of the bunds surrounding the petrol tanks at HOSL West.
The mist was about one metre deep and over the following minutes it flowed towards Three Cherry Trees Lane.
Witnesses reported their car engines revving uncontrollably, 'running rough' and stalling.
Minutes later, the explosion occurred.
Mr Powell adds: "The source of the fuel release is not yet known, although the CCTV records indicate that it was in the vicinity if bund A on the HOSL West site.
"The plausible scenarios involve large scale loss of containment of vessels or pipework within bund A.
"Resources are being directed to clarify these early indications and to find out what underlying causes there may have been.
"It is clear from the witness accounts and the evidence of damage both on and
off site that there was a massive explosion early in the developing incident. There
appear to have been several explosions, but the exact sequence of events has not
yet been established. Initial indications from examination of the explosion damage
are that the main explosion event appears to have been located in the area of the
car parks between the HOSL West site and the Fuji and Northgate buildings. The
heaviest damage can be seen in this area.
"This does not necessarily mean that the
ignition of the flammable mixture occurred here, but that the highest flame speeds
were in this location. The mechanism for this is not yet understood. This forms part
of the ongoing investigation."
Mr Powell said the investigation was still looking at the scale of the environmental impact of the disaster.
He added: "On environmental issues the team has focused on containment of products
and fire-fighting materials on site and releases to the environment.
"It is working to
identify pathways of pollutants into the environment and to quantify the scale of
impact to the environment both on and off site with regard to land and water.
"As the clean-up operation has progressed samples have been taken from lagoons,
boreholes and surrounding watercourses and gaining photographic evidence of the
developing situation both on and off site. Staff are also obtaining documentary
evidence of how containment was designed, constructed and maintained on site,
including the provision for containing fire-fighting water."
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) later issued precautionary advice to operators of fuel storage sites.
HSE has requested that operators with consent to store quantities of oil or other fuels that make them subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999, review their operations. HSE inspectors will also be
carrying out targeted inspections at those sites over the next three months.
PRESCOTT TO CONSIDER FURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR BLAST VICTIMS
Thursday February 16. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has pledged to consider financial assistance from government for victims of the Buncefield blast following a visit to Hemel Hempstead today (Thursday).
Mr Prescott was in town to get an update from council leaders, residents, and other community figures on how the area is coping following the Buncefield blast.
"I must say a remarkable job has been done but of course they still need help and assistance," Mr Prescott said.
"Some people are paying a heavy price.
"People are having to rebuild their businesses and have suffered uninsured costs.
"We will look at whether we can do any more about that," he added.
BLAST-HIT FIRM 'WILL STAY'
Wednesday, February 8: Northgate says it is committed to staying in Hemel Hempstead despite reports it could be set to leave in the wake of damage done to its HQ in the Buncefield blast.
The firm's offices in Boundary Way were partly destroyed in the explosion and the 450 staff have been relocated to other offices while a decision is taken on the future.
News reports had suggested the company was ready to quit its current offices and find a new building within a 10 or 15 mile radius. However the IT firm says it is set to move to temporary offices in Hemel Hempstead.
CAMERON CALLS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO BUNCEFIELD
Friday February 3. Tory leader David Cameron has called for a public inquiry into the Buncefield blast after paying a visit to Hemel Hempstead today (Friday).
The politician made the call after surveying the damage caused by the explosion and speaking to community leaders, residents and firefighters.
"There are real lessons to be learned," Mr Cameron said.
"There is a very strong case for saying oil depots should not be built next to industrial estates and this is something the inquiry should look at.
"We need a proper public inquiry rather than a behind closed doors inquiry," he added.
UPDATE, February 3
A LAW firm acting on behalf of victims of the Buncefield disaster has attacked oil giants over delays in addressing compensation claims.
Collins Solicitors launched High Court action against Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited (HOSL) this week with the backing of 45 people affected by the explosion.
That number is likely to quadruple during the course of the legal case which could take up to 18 months to complete after Collins lodged an application for a Group Litigation Order on Friday (Jan 27).
HOSL, a joint venture between Texaco and Total who run the site, have so far refused to speculate on the cause of the blast which rocked Hemel Hempstead on December 11.
The question of liability remains unanswered although the British Pipeline Agency, who also have an interest in Buncefield, have denied responsibility for the accident and 'refuses to accept liability in this regard'.
Senior partner at the law firm, Des Collins, told The Gazette this week:
"They (HOSL) are dragging their heels.
"They have said they cannot reach a position on liability until such time as the health and Safety Executive (HSE) have published their findings.
"That is nonsense. Of course they know what happened and if they are liable. They run the world's oil industry and they have their own people investigating at the site.
"It's going to take a long time for the legal process to be complete and that's why we have started putting in place the legal mechanisms. We expect the first hearing will be in about six weeks."
Mr Collins, who is a specialist in civil litigation acting for the victims of accidents, believes the oil industry would normally get together and pay claims for compensation, while waging a legal battle over liability behind the scenes.
According to him this has not happened so far in the case of Buncefield, leaving the victims still counting the cost of the disaster.
HOSL say they are not in a position to comment on the Litigation Order but have 'actively sought to assist those affected by the Buncefield incident as a gesture of goodwill'.
They have made a £150,000 donation to the Mayor's recovery fund and created home assistance telephone helplines in the wake of the disaster, but Mr Collins this does not go far enough.
Mr Collins added: "It is simply not good enough that almost two months after this multi-billion dollar industry blew apart not only the residents' houses but also their lives, no offer of compensation whatsoever has been put forward.
"It is something which cannot and will not be allowed to continue. If liability is to be a real issue between the residents and the industry then it is only sensible the matter is referred to the Courts at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The HSE launched an investigation into the blast within days of the blast.
Calls for a public inquiry have resurfaced after The Gazette was refused access to Buncefield by operators HOSL to observe investigation work being carried out.
While the HSE has jurisdiction over the site, owners HOSL have so far barred any public access to the depot, adding: "Visits are limited to investigation teams and those involved in the clean-up operation.” A
Farm plight (February 2)
FARMING couple forced to leave their ruined smallholding, wrecked by the Buncefield blast, fear for their financial future.
Una and Michael Hewitt whose home in Punch Bowl Lane was decimated by December's disaster, had poured their life savings into
the property hoping it would provide a tidy nest egg.
But with rebuilding work expected to last for the next six months to restore their family home, the couple believe they will have to continue working to help secure a comfortable retirement.
"At our time of life we were gearing up to selling the place," she said speaking from their new home in Highfields Lane.
"As you can imagine it has been a great upheaval. We've put our whole life savings into the house and it will be our pension. That is all up in the air now and we'll have to wait and see how much we'll get for it but I don't think it will be as much as we anticipated."
Una, who has shared the detached house and small holding with her 71-year-old husband since 1962, had originally thought the house would be condemned in the wake of the devastating explosion on December 11. The couple's insurance company have helped relocate them to rented accommodation which they moved into on January 9.
It is thought work on the house - built in 1913 - will last well into the summer months and Michael is visiting the property daily to ward off would-be squatters and tend to their geese and dogs.
Neighbours at High Grange, 100 metres further along the road, were less fortunate, the likely outcome being that their historic property - the former family home to the Fry chocolate dynasty - will be pulled down. Una added: “The Waverley building opposite broke some of the blast and it is that which saved us. Unfortunately others were not so lucky.”
Speculation over falling values of homes close to the stricken depot have been rife in the media this week.
Bill Burgar, who lives with his young family just 800 yards from the scene of the devastation, had been preparing to sell his house in the new year because of safety fears and had it valued at around £600,000 days before the blast. According to Mr Burgar that value has now been slashed in half, putting on hold any plans to move.
But regional director for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Trevor Hinds, has eased fears that the long term value of property close to the site had been decimated.
"If they were to rebuild Buncefield the safety measures will be improved ten fold and more care would be taken over environmental surroundings,” he said. "Houses may have devalued in the short term but there is probably more than a 50 per cent chance of them being worth more in the long term because of that.
"If people have to sell now, perhaps because of circumstance, they can obviously claim compensation, but it should only be seen as a snapshot.”
The Hewitts are to feature in a BBC documentary, Disaster Masters, about the Buncefield explosion which is due to be broadcast on February 8 and 15. AN engineering firm decimated by the Buncefield explosion fears the knock-on effect of the disaster will cost them and other businesses millions in lost custom.
Colbree Engineering Group's Boundary Way base was all but destroyed by the blast on December 11, which has halted production for the past seven weeks.
Customers, who ironically include firms in the oil industry, are already turning their back on the company which has seen turnover fall by two thirds since the explosion.
The business, which has been trading in Hemel Hempstead for more than 20 years, has had to re-locate with the help of Dacorum's business community but will not return to normal for another three months.
General manager Robert Clark, who has shifted around 15 administrative staff into spare office space at the Apsley Paper Trail, believes the fall out could be 'huge'.
"We usually turn over around £400,000 a month and at the moment we are down to about a third of that. Our factory is to be demolished this week but we are still liable for the lease. We have managed to carry on some production at the factories of competitors and suppliers but some of our customers have been less sympathetic. The financial losses are covered by insurance but what it won't cover is the loss of customers and we are already seeing them go elsewhere.
"They have businesses to run as well - some of which are ‘one-man-bands’ - and the longer this goes on the more likely they are to look for other suppliers.”
The firm, which has only recently recovered from laying off 70 per cent of staff following the fibre optic market crash in 2001, left their 15,000 sq ft ATA House base after it was condemned in the wake of December's explosion.
Four days after the blast, which wrecked more than £1.5million worth of production machinery at their factory, the company had relocated to the historic London Road paper mill.
They converted the Paper Trail's museum into an office for five staff and now have more than 30 other employees working from sites in Hitchin and Wembley as they attempt to return to normality.
"They (the Paper Trail) have been brilliant," said Robert, who has confirmed the company will not be returning to Maylands Industrial Estate after buying a new 19,000 sq ft home in Pitstone.
"If it hadn't been for them it could have been another two weeks before we could get running again, which would have been disastrous. A process which could have taken weeks was done in hours thanks to their good will.”
Customer services manager Maggie Taylor, who helped organise the move, added: "We were only too happy to help. There has been a great feeling of community spirit and there will always be a bond between the two companies."
Property deal (Feb 2)
PROPERTY consultants have secured a one million pound deal to off-load premises close to the Buncefield Oil Depot and claim the property industry is prospering within yards of the disaster zone.
Unit three on Finway Road, Hemel Hempstead, which is less than three quarters of a mile from the blast site, is set to be taken over by motorcycle specialists 'The Internet Bike Shop for £1.09million.
A spokesman for Lambert Smith Hampton, who brokered the deal, said the move reassures property investors, prospective tenants and owner-occupiers that Hemel Hempstead is still a 'desirable location'.
'I DID LOOT BUNCEFILED BLAST HOME'
Thursday, January 26: A man has pleaded guilty to looting a house which had been evacuated following the massive Buncefield Oil Depot explosion last month.
Warren Patten, 22, took property worth £5,500 from the detached house.
The house in Cherry Tree Lane, Hemel Hempstead is close to the depot and suffered structural and internal damage in the blast.
Patten, of Claymore, Hemel Hempstead, appeared before magistrates in St Albans on Friday, where he admitted burglary on Wednesday December 14.
The home owners had been evacuated after the huge fire broke out at the depot on December 11 and the house was within the police cordon.
The property taken in the burglary was a DVD player, two amplifiers and a Sky receiver box.
Magistrates adjourned sentence until February 13 for reports to be prepared.
Wednesday, January 25: Prince Charles' warehouse in Maylands has been condemned after being devastated in the Buncefield oil depot blast, The Gazette can reveal.
The 55,000 sq ft building, sited less than 200m from the scene of the massive explosion, was bought through the Prince's Duchy of Cornwall estate for an estimated £5million.
Tenants of the building, distribution company Andromeda Logistics, has temporarily relocated to new premises in Radlett.
The company's boss, Matthew Allen, said the move was for an initial 12-month period but warned that his firm may not return to the warehouse if the oil depot is rebuilt in its current position.
"If the explosion had happened during the week we would have lost two thirds of our workforce," he added.
FIRE MEETING ON BACK BURNER
