No Buncefield contamination 'yet'

Long-term environmental damage has not been ruled out

The Buncefield oil terminal blast has not had a major environmental impact so far, according to a report.

The report by Taf Powell, the site's investigation manager, said test results "do not suggest any identifiable contamination pattern".

But the report stated that it was "too early to rule out potential contamination of ground water".

The exact cause of the blast near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on 11 December, is still being investigated.

The publication of the latest report is intended to complement the first progress report published on 21 February.

It said there was an "extensive loss of containment" at the site boundaries and fuel and fire dousing water had escaped to surrounding lands.

The report also identified "significant failures" in the safety structures designed to contain liquids escaping from damaged storage tanks and the water used by firefighters.

It said it was too early to rule out potential contamination of ground water because "it can take many months or years for water to drain through the ground into the chalk aquifer".