CHEMICAL giant Orica, responsible for the leak of cancer-causing fumes over Newcastle on Monday, failed to alert the Fire and Rescue Service, which should have been called immediately to assess the situation.
Instead, the fire service, which has the hazardous materials response team - Hazmat - was told by a member of the public about the leak the day after the incident.
"We then rang the company [Orica] ourselves and were told they did not require our assistance," a fire service spokesman said.
Asked about this yesterday, Orica declined to comment.
Environmental and emergency management experts said Hazmat should have been on site immediately, setting up a command post.
The failure to alert the emergency response teams has raised questions about the corporate governance at Orica Australia, whether it has an on-site emergency response plan at its Kooragang Island plant and whether that plan was followed.
Orica was told in June that a variation to its licence to run the chemical plant was contingent on its having an on-site emergency response plan.
The Sun-Herald understands that Orica has been asked to hand over to authorities all its internal records and logbooks of the incident, as well as its emergency response plans.
The state government has ordered Orica to shut down its chemical plant until further notice after the leak of the hazardous chemicals into the beachside suburb of Stockton.
A plume of hexavalent chromium, the chemical agent made famous by US environmental campaigner Erin Brockovich, escaped from the ammonia plant on Monday night.
The chemical can cause skin irritation and potentially, with long exposure, cancer. But residents were not told about their exposure to emissions from the production facility until Wednesday. About 20 staff were also exposed.
The Hazmat team was called to the site on Thursday.
Orica notified the Office of Environment and Heritage at 10.30am on Tuesday, about 16 hours after the leak and the emergency shutdown at the plant. The government has since announced an independent review of notification requirements for pollution incidents.
NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker said yesterday test results showed that out of a total of 36 samples taken, only three showed low levels of hexavalent chromium.
The only sites found to have detectable levels were along the foreshore, closest to the plant. No chromium was detected in five samples from a childcare centre on Barrie Crescent.
A spokeswoman for Orica said yesterday the company would begin a full clean-up of all properties where contamination might have occurred.
The company was fined $10,500 in 2005 by the NSW Land and Environment Court for spilling acid waste into the Hunter River.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
What happened in the Orica leak in Newcastle and which chemical escaped?
A plume of hexavalent chromium escaped from Orica’s ammonia plant on Kooragang Island on a Monday night, releasing hazardous fumes over Newcastle and the beachside suburb of Stockton. The state government ordered the plant shut down until further notice after the incident.
Did Orica alert fire and emergency services immediately after the hazardous chemical leak?
No. Orica did not immediately alert the Fire and Rescue Service. The fire service’s Hazmat team was only made aware after a member of the public reported the leak the next day, and when firefighters rang Orica they were told the company did not require assistance.
When were authorities and local residents informed about the Orica hexavalent chromium release?
Orica notified the Office of Environment and Heritage at about 10:30am the following Tuesday—around 16 hours after the leak and the plant’s emergency shutdown. Residents were not informed about potential exposure until Wednesday, and the Hazmat team attended the site on Thursday.
What are the health risks from hexavalent chromium and were any detections found?
Hexavalent chromium can cause skin irritation and, with long exposure, may increase cancer risk. Test results from the incident showed that out of 36 samples taken, only three detected low levels of hexavalent chromium, all along the foreshore closest to the plant. No chromium was detected in five samples taken from a nearby childcare centre on Barrie Crescent.
Is Orica required to clean up contamination and who will carry out the cleanup?
Orica said it will begin a full cleanup of all properties where contamination might have occurred. The company has also been asked to hand over internal records and logbooks of the incident and its emergency response plans to authorities.
Are regulators investigating Orica’s emergency response and corporate governance?
Yes. The failure to alert emergency response teams has raised questions about Orica Australia’s corporate governance and whether it had, and followed, an on-site emergency response plan. Authorities have requested company records and the government has announced an independent review of notification requirements for pollution incidents.
Was Orica’s licence linked to having an on-site emergency response plan?
According to the article, Orica was told in June that a variation to its licence to run the chemical plant was contingent on having an on-site emergency response plan, which has contributed to scrutiny over whether such a plan existed and was followed.
Has Orica faced environmental penalties before this incident?
Yes. The article notes that Orica was fined $10,500 in 2005 by the NSW Land and Environment Court after spilling acid waste into the Hunter River.
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