Inquiry urged to ensure safety of local residents and environment during destruction of toxic waste

Tuesday, 05 February 2002 10:00

Orica Australia Pty. has proposed to destroy 10,000 tonnes of dangerous hexachlorobenzene waste on a site located in Botany Industrial Estate.

Serious environmental and health concerns must be addressed by the imminent Commission of Inquiry into the destruction of 10,000 tonnes of toxic waste in Botany, Total Environment Centre said today. Orica Australia Pty. has proposed to destroy 10,000 tonnes of dangerous hexachlorobenzene waste on a site located in Botany Industrial Estate.

"A key public concern is the process chosen by Orica has not been proven to be safe and effective in the destruction of the toxic waste stored at Botany. When undergoing trails the favoured Geomelt process only successfully passed one of the three trials it underwent," said Ben Cole, Chemicals Campaigner for TEC.

"Since the trials, major modifications have been made to the process leaving a number of unanswered questions about the destruction technology. Due to its close proximity to residential areas the destruction facility must be proven to be reliable and safe."

"Another glaring omission is the need for a publicly released human health risk assessment. Local residents have repeatedly asked for a human health assessment but their request has been continuously denied. Without a transparent risk assessment process residents in the South Sydney region will not be convinced that they are safe."

"The Orica development proposal has demonstrated that toxic waste issues are a major public concern. The government should ensure that the polluter pays principle is used to provide assistance to community participation and support independent auditing from the outset of any hazardous waste related proposal."

Hazardous waste generation is continuing to rise in NSW. The last comprehensive study of hazardous waste was conducted in 1994. The study showed over 200,000 kiloliters of waste was generated in NSW.

"Without a long-term environmentally sustainable plan for hazardous waste, issues such as Orica will continue to arise. The government must set a strong foundation for cleaner production and environmental sustainability".