Orica barred from exporting its toxic legacy - 3 December 2010

NSW Greens MLC Ian Cohen is congratulating the Danish Environment Minister, Karen Ellemann for halting the receipt of 6100 tonnes of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from the Orica facility in Sydney. The Danish Government had previously agreed to accept the toxic HCB waste and incinerate the waste in the local Nyborg community.
"The decision of the Danish Environment Minister to protect the health of Danish citizens and the local environment demonstrates the irresponsibility of the former Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett in licensing the export of the HCB waste," said Mr Cohen

"Rather than forcing the hand of Orica to take full responsibility for their waste by adequately investing in indirect desorption facilities within the Australian jurisdiction, Peter Garrett will be placing the global environment at great risk."

"There is an inherent danger in shipping highly toxic waste across vast oceanic distances. We have witnessed a number of recent maritime disasters involving oil tankers within Australian waters. An accident on the high seas involving HCB waste cargo spilling into the sea would cause environmental destruction of an unimaginable scale."

"I also want to congratulate the dock workers of Denmark and their colleagues in Sweden and Norway for refusing to unload the toxic cargo. They have done a great service for the international environment and the local communities in Nyborg."

"I will call on the current Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke to revoke Orica's HCB export licence issued by Peter Garrett. I will also call on the current Environment Minister to force the hand of Orica to invest in industry leading technology to dispose of the waste in a way that does not harm the community or the environment."

“Orica needs to protect both the local and international community and be made to treat the waste at an appropriate Australian treatment facility. They created the waste and must be completely responsible for its safe disposal within Australia.”


Further Information: Ian Cohen 0409 989 466