Private individuals discovered on Sunday that oil ran out in Södertälje. Now the municipality has started to investigate what caused the leak, and also reported the leak to prosecutors.

- When we receive such an event, we will report to the prosecution if there is a suspicion of environmental crime and we have done so. It is with the Prosecutor's Office now, but even though they are investigating, it does not hinder our handling as a supervisory authority, ”says Eva Ryblad, environmental inspector at Södertälje Municipality's Environmental Office.

When the rescue service arrived at the scene this weekend, they were met by an oil skimmer on the water's surface at the marina in Strömsviken.

- A work to stop the leak had already begun there, but we added further links and were able to ascertain where the leak came from, says Andreas Blomquist, operations manager at the Södertörn Fire Defense Association.

The rain has spread the oil

The oil leak was traced to Scania, which has large operations in the area. This should be about steering servo oil and the incident occurred indoors 14 days ago. According to the rescue service, about 10,000 liters of oil have leaked inside a building.

- Since then it has been decontaminated and some remediation remains. But because of the heavy rain, what had accumulated in stormwater wells was pushed up and spread. But it should be relatively small quantities that have leaked, says Hans-Åke Danielson at Scania's press service.

Both Scania and the municipality of Södertälje estimate that the amount of oil that has been spread to the bay, via a ditch, is somewhere between 700 and 1,000 liters.

"The oil is clearly red in color so it looks pretty good where it is going," says Eva Ryblad, environmental inspector at Södertälje Municipality's Environment Office.

Toxic to organisms

She points out that it is not only Scania's stormwater that goes into the bay, but from what she has seen so far, the oil is probably from Scania's workshop.

- Of course, it is never good for oil to come out and this particular oil is toxic to aquatic organisms and has long-term effects, so it does not degrade. But it does not say anything about the effect on this site, because here it has been diluted. I don't think it will have any effects in the long run, says Eva Ryblad.

Eva Ryblad says that the municipality expects Scania to bottom with what has happened.

- We have had decontamination companies, with flushing and suction cars, inside all the time and even now during the weekend and the remediation work continues. We are also investigating how it could break and will review the preparedness with. It is an accident, says Hans-Åke Danielson at Scania's press service.