Orica provides details of Arsenic discharge

20 August 2011

Orica is providing details of the discharge of effluent containing concentrations of arsenic above its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) licensing limits.

The discharge occurred on Friday 19 August, during which 1.2 megalitres of effluent, with a concentration of 0.067 milligrams per litre of arsenic was discharged from an effluent storage pond on site into the Hunter River. This equates to 70 grams diluted in approximately 30 swimming pools full of water. This was immediately self reported by Orica to the EPA.

Orica stopped using arsenic on the Kooragang Island site in 1993 and has a long term program in place to find and clean up any remaining material.

The breach of licensing limits occurred as part of extensive on-site clean-up activities following the incident on Monday 8 August within the Ammonia plant. A very small amount of arsenic was released and found its way to a storage pond from where it was discharged to the Hunter River.

An automated sampler on the discharge line detected the material and the flow of effluent was immediately stopped. The incident was immediately reported to the EPA. We continue to monitor all material discharged from the site.

Orica regrets this further incident and remains committed to continuously improving our environmental performance.

Media contact:  Nicole Ekert, Corporate Communications, (03) 9665 7538                 
Mobile: 0407 166 783