‘Canberra fire a warning to NSW’

A MAJOR fire at a chemical factory in Canberra is a warning to NSW to review how hazardous facilities in the state are regulated, says a key environment group.

A major fire at a chemical factory in Canberra is a warning to NSW, says a key environment group.

A MAJOR fire at a chemical factory in Canberra is a warning to NSW to review how hazardous facilities in the state are regulated, says a key environment group.

“Coming so soon after the events at Orica, this serious industrial accident must prompt a systematic review of the way in which we manage industrial pollution risks here in NSW,” said Pepe Clarke, chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

The fire broke out in the factory in the Canberra suburb of Mitchell late on Thursday night with residents reporting a series of explosions that shook their houses and sent flames shooting hundreds of metres into the air.

It took the ACT Fire Brigade 22 hours to contain the huge fire, believed to have been fuelled by drums of PCB-contaminated oil and transformer oil on the site, and were joined by hazardous materials crews from Fire and Rescue NSW.

It had been feared that a huge plume of smoke, which drifted across northern Canberra from the suburb of and on to the communities of Queanbeyan and Bungendore in neighbouring NSW, contained phosgene – a chemical compound used in mustard gas, a biochemical weapon used in World War 1.

The incident comes after a chemical leak at an Orica plant in the Newcastle suburb of Stockton on August 8.

Plumes of hexavalent chromium wafted past 70 homes on that day, but residents were not informed until three days later.

“The NSW parliamentary inquiry must closely examine the way in which hazardous industrial facilities are regulated, to ensure that public health and the environment are adequately protected,” Mr Clarke said.

“It’s time to get tough on polluting industry.

“The EPA needs to respond more strongly to breaches of pollution licences, by increasing the use of penalty notices and prosecutions.”

The NSW government has announced an audit of 42 major hazard facilities, but is keeping the location of these facilities secret. However, Mr Clarke pointed out that in Victoria information about major hazard facilities is in the public domain.

“Making our pollution control system more open and transparent will help make industry and the regulator more accountable, and will help people to prepare in the case of a serious accident.

“The location of major hazard facilities should be made public, with information about emergency response procedures made readily available to local residents,” Mr Clarke added.

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