ST ALBANS, United Kingdom — Colin Chiverton - Environment Manager and Lead Investigator from the Environmental Agency (L), Gordon MacDonald - HSE Director of Hazardous Installations (C) and Bob Woodward - HSE Investigation Manager (R) read out a statement after the hearing of the Buncefield Investigation. Images from outside St Albans Crown Court on the day where five companies are facing unlimited fines over their part in the Buncefield oil depot explosion. The firms will be sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Friday after a trial in which jurors heard the full environmental damage from the blast is still not known and could last for decades. The explosion, on December 11 2005, is widely thought to be the largest in peacetime Europe. It measured 2.4 on the Richter scale and could be heard 125 miles away. TAV Engineering Ltd, of Guildford, Surrey, and Motherwell Control Systems 2003 Ltd, which is in voluntary liquidation, were both found guilty last month of failing to protect workers and members of the public, contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act. Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited (HOSL) was found guilty of failing to prevent major accidents and limit their effects. It also pleaded guilty to causing pollution to enter controlled waters underlying the vicinity around Buncefield, contrary to the Water Resources Act. The verdicts followed a joint prosecution by the HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) which the bodies described as the "biggest and most complex criminal inquiry" they worked on together. Total UK has already pleaded guilty to three charges, of failing to ensure the safety of workers and members of the public and of causing pollution to enter controlled waters. British Pipeline Ltd also admitted two charges in connection with the explosion, failing to prevent major accidents and limit their effects, and causing pollution to enter controlled waters. The destruction at the Hertfordshire depot came after a massive vapour cloud ignited when 250,000 litres of petrol leaked from one of its tanks.
Five companies responsible for the huge explosion at Buncefield oil depot must pay fines and costs of more than £9 million (13.8 million dollars, 10.6 million euros), a court ruled on Friday.
French oil giant Total received the stiffest penalty for the incident in Hertfordshire five years ago, being ordered to pay a fine of £3.6 million plus costs of £2.6 million.
The December 11, 2005 explosion measured 2.4 on the Richter Scale and is considered one of the biggest blasts in peacetime Europe. It was reportedly heard as far away as France and Belgium.
It was also one of Britain's most costly industrial disasters -- and only the fact that the explosion took place early on a Sunday prevented a greater human catastrophe.
"Had the explosion happened during a working day, the loss of life may have been measured in tens or even hundreds," judge David Calvert-Smith said as he sentenced the firms at St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire.
Jurors heard that the extent of the environmental damage was still not known and its effects could last for decades.
Hertfordshire Oil Storage was fined £1.45 million plus one million pounds costs, while British Pipeline Agency was fined £300,000 plus £480,000 costs.
Motherwell Control Systems 2003 and TAV Engineering were both fined £1,000 each and each were ordered to pay £500 in costs.
