Pressure is mounting on the state government to strengthen environmental laws following the release of mercury from a chemical plant in Sydney on Tuesday morning, the latest pollution breach by the company.
The Orica plant at Botany was responsible for the release of mercury vapour well above the allowable level between midnight and 9am on Tuesday morning, which was detected near homes in Banksmeadow. NSW Health has said there is no risk of health effects for residents.
The company would not comment yesterday on how the leak occurred. A spokeswoman from the Office of Environment and Heritage said they understood the emission came from a purpose-built air-tight building that was being used to wash soil from the site which is contaminated with mercury.
“We understand the emission of mercury vapour came from leaks from the purpose-built air-tight building when the air extraction system was offline. The OEH is investigating why this system was offline,” the spokeswoman said.
Residents who live near the industrial site have called for a strengthening of environmental laws to prevent such events from happening again and to make sure accurate information is communicated quickly.
The state government is waiting on the findings of an inquiry by former director-general of the NSW Premier’s Department Brendan O’Reilly into the leak of a toxic chemical from an Orica plant in Stockton on August 8, due tomorrow.
“The NSW Government will consider any recommendations in the O’Reilly report and announce any changes once the report has been considered by Government,” said a spokesman for the Premier, Barry O’Farrell.
Resident Lynda Newnam said it should not be left up to the company to doorknock residents when pollution incidents occurred, as happened on Tuesday, and that a government authority should fill that role.
”If it came from the Department of Health or the [Environmental Protection Authority] you would feel more confident,” she said.
The role of the EPA in policing companies also needed to be strengthened, she said.
”We know to report crime to the police but do we know where to go when threatened by pollution?” she said.
Last month one resident, who asked not to be named, wrote to the Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, requesting a public meeting with Pagewood residents to help alleviate ”rising concern” about toxic emissions from the Botany site but received no reply.
Another resident, Len Mahoney, said he could not use the bore water from his own garden because of pollution, and that residents regularly dealt with strange smells and smoke.
The Greens have a bill before the upper house to change the law so that companies have to report potentially harmful incidents immediately instead of ”as soon as practicable”, but neither Labor nor the Coalition have yet said they will support the bill.
The Greens MP Cate Faerhmann said the bill should be the first step in a complete overhaul of pollution laws in NSW.
”What’s clear is that pollution laws need a revamp in NSW,” she said. ”For too long companies have been able to get away with breaching their licences hundreds of times. Orica has thrown all this in to the spotlight.”
