THW sucks oil film for hours

In an elaborate campaign, specialists from the Technical Relief Organization (THW) cleaned a rainwater retention basin on the A 96 near Weßling on Saturday.

The cause was a few days ago - a serious accident on the motorway.

There was no danger to the groundwater.

Weßling

- Almost two dozen helpers from the THW from Starnberg and Dachau removed several hundred liters of diesel from the surface of a rainwater retention basin on the A96 not far from the Krone farm near Weßling on Saturday.

The oil spill was the result of an accident on January 20 in which the tank of a truck was ripped open (we reported).

So far, neither the fire brigade, THW nor a specialist company have been able to remove the oil film because the approximately 1500 square meter pool was frozen over.

In the accident, a truck and a car collided, both of which were leaking fuel and, in some cases, hydraulic fluids.

According to the District Office, the mixture got into the rainwater retention basin via a drainage channel, which is, however, specially protected.

It was lined with foil - so the diesel could not seep into the groundwater, explains district fire chief Peter Bauch, who was there on Saturday.

400 to 500 liters had leaked in the accident.

The day after the accident, the Weßling fire brigade fought an acute danger to the environment and laid out oil cloths to bind diesel in nature.

The pool was already frozen over.

It still “smelled terrible”, say Bauch and the other helpers.

Last week there was an on-site visit, the ice was gone.

Normally the fire brigade could have started the removal, but the district office was looking for a specialist company, but couldn't find one, and therefore turned to the THW.

That, in turn, got colleagues from Dachau for support, who have a so-called brush skimmer, a kind of vacuum cleaner with an oil separator.

According to Markus Reichart from the Starnberg THW, it was placed in one place, then the helpers pulled an oil barrier over the pool and collected the streaks so that the brush skimmer can vacuum them.

The procedure was necessary twice before the water was clean again.

THW helpers also disposed of a tree trunk from the pool and had to clear some areas of the reeds and have them disposed of.

For such cases, the fire brigade has what is known as an oil sanimat, which is, however, designed for heavier soiling.

“It doesn't work with the quantities,” explains Bauch.

"Now it looks great", he praises the success of the THW.

In the end, around 600 liters of oil-water mixture were collected during the suction process, which corresponds to the amount of diesel that had leaked.

The district office, also with experts on site, classifies the matter as done after the cleaning action, said district spokeswoman Barbara Beck.

For Peter Bauch this only applies to a limited extent.

In view of the high effectiveness of the brush skimmer, the district fire council is considering whether such a device would not also make sense for the district - so that if necessary, one does not always have to request the THW Dachau or others.

The oil simulator, stationed in Traubing, covers major accidents that do occur.

Once around 6000 liters of heating oil leaked from a truck in Höhenrain and drained into a rainwater retention basin.

The weirs are equipped with absorbent cloths (fleece), barriers and the like for minor contamination.

Fleece is currently still available at the Weßlinger basin;

In about a week, the situation is checked, the fleece is disposed of or replaced if necessary.