Kerosene Still Leaking Into River Taff Five Days After GE Spill

Oily slicks of kerosene were still leaking into the River Taff this week, five days after a breach of thousands of litres was first spotted by members of the public near Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The spill was identified last Friday, 16 October, after residents reported strong chemical odours coming from the river. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers arrived on site soon afterwards, assisted by south Wales fire and rescue service crews who deployed absorbent mats and booms to contain as much kerosene as possible.

Roughly 25,000 litres of kerosene is the early estimate for the spill volume, though NRW could not confirm how much actually entered the waterway. The regulator also declined to comment on possible enforcement action while its investigation continues. Four kilometres (2.5 miles) of the river were affected, according to NRW.

Where did the kerosene come from?

The fuel came from a GE Aerospace site in Nantgarw. GE Aerospace is a US multinational that designs and builds military and commercial aircraft systems and engines. Its south Wales operation is among the world's largest maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for commercial aircraft engines and employs more than 1,350 people. In 2017 the company received £5m in funding from the Welsh government to support innovation and sustainability in the aerospace sector.

A GE Aerospace spokesperson said: "The safety of our employees, neighbours and environment remains our top priority. We are continuing to work closely with Natural Resources Wales to address a fuel spill that occurred during repair work at our site on Friday 16 October. The source was identified and isolated on Friday, and containment and clean up are ongoing, with specialist teams working both on and off site."

What are the health risks?

Public Health Wales has advised the community to avoid all contact with contaminated areas along the river, which runs parallel to popular trails on both banks, including the Taff trail. Residents were advised last week to keep windows and doors closed. People near the river had complained of sinus problems and headaches.

"Kerosene vapours may be mildly irritating to the respiratory system. Our current assessment is that people who can smell kerosene may experience temporary irritation, particularly if they are exposed for prolonged periods," the health body said.

Sarah Llywelyn, who lives in a riverside home in Glan Y Llyn downstream of the facility, was among those who reported the leak to NRW. "The smell was absolutely unbelievable. My eyes burned as soon as I opened our door into the garden. I knew it must have been huge because of the smell, and it's a fast-flowing river – it was essentially unsafe from the point of contamination to Cardiff Bay. We moved here because of the river. What I want more than anything is for lessons to be learned. This should never happen again."

What is the environmental damage?

A Guardian visit to the site found slicks still entering the Taff five days after the incident began. NRW believes the pollution has now been stopped from reaching the river.

An NRW spokesperson said: "Fuel that entered the drainage system before the leak was stopped by the operator could remain within parts of that network and whilst containment measures help reduce and capture pollution, they are not always able to separate all fuel from flowing water. Our work to investigate this incident and assess environmental impacts is ongoing."

Prof Steve Ormerod of Cardiff University's Water Research Institute confirmed that photographs appeared to show kerosene still entering the waterway through the bunding, a secondary storage system usually built to catch overflows. "The Taff has been recovering from its grossly polluted past," he said. "So this incident is a potential setback to clean water species such as salmon, dippers and kingfishers that have been recolonising the river."

He warned that kerosene — a mixture of paraffins, naphthenes and benzene-like chemicals — risks direct toxicity to aquatic organisms, reduced oxygen transfer across the water surface and suffocation through impaired gill function in fish or insects. Birds that enter the water to feed could also lose feather waterproofing. Overnight rain was insufficient to raise river levels and flush the Taff, he added, so kerosene will linger in backwaters and eddies.

Who else is paying the price?

Gerwyn and Jordan Lewis of Ynysgau farm, directly opposite the main spill site, said NRW advised them the river water was unsafe for animals to drink. That means riverside grazing areas can't be used safely.

"We simply cannot take the chance of our animals becoming seriously ill or dying. Our winter feed stocks could now be depleted at an alarming rate, leaving us facing the possibility of having to purchase substantial additional feed at considerable expense," they said. The couple also run a tourism business beside the affected river, comprising campsite pitches, glamping accommodation, a sauna and cold plunge facilities.

With NRW's investigation ongoing and the spilled volume still unconfirmed, enforcement action against GE Aerospace remains an open question — and the final bill for farmers, tourism operators and the river's recovering ecosystem hasn't been tallied.