In October 2022, Mol Nyrt.

reported detecting an oil leak from its pipeline situated between Pécs and Százhalombatta, near Gárdony.

Investigations revealed that nearly 500 cubic meters of oil products, including diesel and gasoline, had leaked, much of it after the company had already noted a fuel loss in early September.

A hearing was held this past Thursday in the Sustainable Development Committee of the Hungarian Parliament, attended by representatives from Mol, the Ministry of Energy, experts from Greenpeace, and a member of a local civil organization.

Following the nearly two-hour hearing, many details regarding the incident were disclosed, although opposition representatives and environmental experts expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clear answers to several critical questions.

Among the unanswered issues were the extent of pollution mitigation methods and the reasons behind Mol's continued operation of the pipeline even after acknowledging the leak.

During the hearing, Szabolcs Kozma, Mol’s Logistics Director, stated that the company operates a 2,000-kilometer pipeline network subject to regular inspections.

He confirmed that the type of failure causing the Gárdony spill had not occurred in Mol’s history and that existing diagnostic techniques had failed to identify this particular fault.

Initially, it took a prolonged period to locate and address the issue.

Upon reviewing documents from Mol, it was noted that on September 10, the company realized substantial amounts of fuel were missing.

Initially suspecting theft, it later became evident that the 50-year-old pipeline had aged and fractured.

Mol had only modified initial estimates of the leak from 10 cubic meters to 487 cubic meters upon further investigation, contradicting its earlier claim that no significant public reports indicated a fuel flow in the area.

Kozma explained that the leaked fuel seeped into loose, loess soil, moving vertically downward to a depth of 15-16 meters where clay layers contained it.

A GPS-equipped pipe inspection tool was eventually used to pinpoint the fracture, and measures included stopping flow, replacing a 30-meter section of the pipeline, and initiating cleanup.

To date, approximately four tons of hydrocarbons have been removed, while around 1,600 tons of contaminated soil have been disposed of.

Meanwhile, to prevent further spread of contamination, Mol is constructing an isolation wall and plans to purchase the surrounding contaminated land.

An ultrasonic inspection method will be introduced post-incident to help detect similar aging pipe issues in the future.

A major concern raised during the hearing was the 36-day delay between the initial detection of the problem and the pipeline shutdown.

Simon Gergely, a chemical expert from Greenpeace, claimed that most of the contamination occurred during this period.

Questions regarding the adequacy of Mol's operational safety protocols were also raised, specifically whether they had failed to shut down the pipeline as pressure sensors indicated issues.

Gergely criticized the environmental implications of allowing the leak to persist while initially suspecting theft rather than a fracture.

Formal responses regarding the effective containment of the pollution and its residual impact within the affected area remain unclear.

Mol's representatives noted expectations for the isolation wall to stop any lateral spread of the contamination.

Current assessments estimate that the contamination has not reached ground water as it begins generally at depths greater than 20 meters.

However, Mol has not conducted complete measurements to confirm these findings due to potential risks involved in drilling into the clay layer.

Environmental advocates criticized the adequacy of the government’s communication and response efforts regarding the spill, particularly the perceived inefficiency of the governmental authority tasked with addressing the issue.

Reports indicated that while Mol provisioned information to local organizations, governmental bodies were less transparent and often unresponsive to inquiries.

Local representatives highlighted the risks of misinformation concerning the spill's impact on nearby areas, including the Velence Lake, amidst concerns of fish mortality reported in the region.

The incident has amplified discussions surrounding transparency and governmental accountability in environmental management.

As ongoing investigations proceed, the complexities of addressing both environmental damage and public communication remain pertinent in the resolution of this significant industrial incident.