Kerosene Spill Spreads 2.5 Miles Along River Taff as Residents Told to Close Windows

People living near the River Taff have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed after a widespread kerosene leak affected almost 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) of the river.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the fuel pollution had spread along the river while officials continued investigating its source.

River Taff pollution spreads

At least one mile (1.6 kilometres) of the River Taff was initially reported to be affected on Saturday morning. NRW later said the contamination had spread as it worked to “investigate the source to understand how it is happening, to completely stop the pollution, and to gather evidence.”

NRW reported that up to 25,000 litres of kerosene had entered the river. Absorbent material has been provided to help reduce the leakage.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the GE site on Friday to stem the flow. The incident has been described as a “national disaster”.

Residents describe strong fuel smell

Eurig Thomas, who lives in Taff’s Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “It smelled like a petrol station. I could smell it as soon as I stepped outside.”

He added: “The river is shiny, and it flows behind my house and flows out of the GE factory and into the Taff River.”

“The smell is gone, but it’s still there this morning.”

Another resident, Sarah Llewellyn, said: “I haven’t slept in the last three days. When I opened the door at lunchtime on a Friday afternoon, I could smell the smoke and my eyes were burning.”

‘No quick fix’ for kerosene contamination

Gareth Llewellyn, a former hazardous materials and environmental protection officer with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said there was no “quick fix” and that recovery would take “years, not months”.

He said: “Yesterday, I visited the culvert across the road from the GE property and it was full of kerosene. Kerosene doesn’t mix with water, so the contamination will continue.”

He added: “They ripped the heart out of our community. The village is Taff’s Well – named after the river.”

“They literally killed our river. If you go there now, there are no animals, no birds; they killed all the fish.”