A Breakfast Creek service station was the scene of a fuel spill emergency early this morning.

Thousands of litres leaked from a tanker, prompting a major containment and clean up operation.

Benjamin Crock reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It happened just after 6am this morning at the Shell Service Station on busy Breakfast Creek Road.

Two and a half thousand litres poured out from a faulty valve on an unloading fuel tanker.

Fire crews worked to prevent the highly flammable fuel from flowing down the storm water drainage system and into the Brisbane River.

Peak hour commuters experienced minor delays after police isolated the station and closed one lane of the busy road.

Noel Harbottle Superintendent QFRS: “We had about 2000 litres in the drain, we’re continuing to inject foam into the drain system and remove that fuel using a vacuum pump.”

A high tide and containment booms aided the response by holding the fuel back from the river and containing most of it in the drainage system.

Four hours after this morning’s incident the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service are still working to clean the spill up. They remain cautious.

Noel Harbottle Superintendent QFRS: “There is always concern to the Queensland Fire and Rescue and to Shell of course we don’t want to have any leaks becuase it is flammable and there is a chance of ignition.”

By midday the site was declared safe and it was business as usual.

Benjamin Crock, QUT News.