By Aileen Robertson

ENGINEERS WORKED throughout last weekend to fix a fault at Ineos Oil Refinery which caused oil to spill into the Firth of Forth last week.

An enforcement notice was served on the Grangemouth refinery after it was identified as the source of pollution in the estuary.

Oil was released into the water when the petrochemical plant’s system for coping with storm water failed after heavy rainfall.

It was estimated that as much as 200 cubic metres of oil could have leaked out and an oil “sheen” could be seen on the coast from Kincardine to Cockenzie.

The incident, which was reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on Monday of last week, raised concerns about the environment along the Forth, which is an important habitat for seabirds.

It also highlighted the potential dangers of oil pollution, with Forth Ports behind controversial plans to transfer millions of tonnes of Russian crude oil between ships just three miles off the Fife coast every year.

However the incident was treated as a relatively minor one and there was no clean-up operation. Instead, the oil was left to be dispersed by the tide.

Yesterday, SEPA confirmed Ineos had acted quickly to comply with the enforcement notice and that work had gone on throughout the weekend to upgrade storm water abatement equipment at the plant in Grangemouth.

A SEPA spokesman said, “Ineos has complied with the enforcement notice. The boats have been out doing checks subsequent to that and did not find any leakage of oil or any dead birds or fish.”

Ineos could still face legal action if the company is found to have exceeded legal discharge limits. Samples were taken from waters around the refinery after the leak was reported to SEPA, but the results have not yet been released.

“The investigation is continuing,” said the spokesman.