Fire Brigade hazardous material units have been called to Newcastle’s Orica chemical plant late today after being notified of an ammonia leak from a storage tank. There have not been any evacuations and the leak has been confined to a high pressure valve within the plant. Fire fighters will continue to monitor the incident and take air samples into the evening.
The latest incident comes as the Environment Protection Authority announced it’s prosecuting Orica over the potentially dangerous leak from the chemical giant’s Kooragang Island plant.
A plume of hexavalent chromium drifted over Stockton in August.
The EPA alleges Orica breached its operating licence, and failed to run its plant in a proper and efficient manner.
It also claims Orica failed to notify the EPA as soon as practicable about the incident.
The case will go before the Land and Environment Court in February.
