Oil Spill at Hakui City Research Center: Ecological Concerns for Ouchigata Lagoon [25-Year Ago Today]

 

At approximately 2:50 p.m., a fuel spill occurred at the Advanced Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Center in Iiyama, Hakui City. Around 1,500 liters of A-grade heavy oil leaked when the hose disconnected from the tank truck during a refueling operation. Part of the spill flowed through a drainage ditch and entered a water channel, with oil detected about one kilometer away from the site.

 

This water channel leads to Ouchigata Lagoon, a habitat for wintering swans and a location for the local cold bream fishery. Locals felt worried about the potential ecological impact and the risk of reputational damage to the local industry.

Q: What is A-grade heavy oil?

A-grade heavy oil is one of the three types of heavy fuel oil, categorized as the lightest in density. It has low viscosity and sulfur content, resulting in high combustion efficiency. Due to its relatively low environmental impact, it is convenient for fuel in agriculture and fisheries.

 

In contrast, the heavy oil that leaked from the Russian tanker Nakhodka off the coast of Fukui Prefecture in 1997 was a much thicker, heavier C-grade oil with the highest viscosity and density and the most significant environmental risk.

参考
北國新聞