Orica seeks waste facility solutions

25 October, 2005

Orica today announced that it is seeking expressions of interest from regional NSW communities to site a waste destruction facility.

Under a direction from the NSW Government, the company is seeking sites for construction of a plant to destroy 15,000 tonnes of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) waste.

Currently stored at Orica’s Botany site, the HCB is a by-product of solvents manufacture between 1963 and 1991at Botany.

Orica is seeking expressions of interest from interested non-metropolitan local government areas in NSW that believe they have an appropriate site which can meet comprehensive and thorough environmental, social and technical criteria.

This is the latest step in a 30-year search by Orica for a HCB waste destruction solution acceptable to both the community and the Federal and State Governments.

The company’s move follows a recommendation in 2004 from a NSW Government-appointed Independent Review Panel (IRP) that a regional site in NSW would be preferable to destroying the waste at the Botany site, as proposed in 2001.

The IRP has been mandated to direct and guide Orica in the location of a suitable site and has established the extensive selection criteria to be applied.

Orica Botany Environment Manager Bruce Gotting said: “It is imperative that the HCB waste be dealt with now as it is unacceptable to Orica and the community to continue to transfer our waste problems to future generations.

“While we are aware of the difficulties in siting such a plant, we are keen to gauge interest in the proposal from regional communities.”

Communities which believe they may have a potential location or simply want more information, can get a detailed briefing from Orica and further independent advice from the IRP.

It is proposed that the plant would have a life of less than 10 years, including construction, commissioning, operation, dismantling and site rehabilitation. 

During each of these stages, local people, products and services would be sourced where possible.  During construction and commissioning, it is estimated that up to 50 people would be required. During operation, about 10 people would be employed.

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