Environmental Issues
No additional environmental issues were identified during fiscal year ending 30 June 2003.
Work is being undertaken on the three previously identified environmental issues at the Port Kembla Steelworks:
- Upgrading the Sinter Plant to improve stack emission quality. A $94 million pollution control plant to collect particulates and dioxins from the Sinter Plant commenced operations in mid 2003 and as at December 2003 was undergoing final commissioning. Treatment of the by-product stream of sulphur rich gas will not be completed until late 2004.
- Possible future control of off-site discharges of waste waters and contaminated ground water may require the introduction of new water treatment facilities in the next three to five years. Voluntary site investigations (approved by the NSW EPA) are being undertaken for two separate portions of the Steelworks to determine the risk of harm to adjacent aquatic ecosystems from discharge of potentially contaminated groundwater.
- Possible future control of hydrogen sulphide emissions from the blast furnace slag granulators. However, this requirement cannot be determined until reliable technical measurement of this emission is available.
No incidents resulting in long-term environmental harm occurred during the year. However, a power outage in March 2003 at the Port Kembla Steelworks resulted in short-term discharges of fumes and water. The NSW EPA is investigating the incident.
Breaches of licence and operating approvals have resulted in the Company receiving 20 fines in the year totalling $13,612. The Company is also being prosecuted by the NSW EPA in relation to four Tier 2 offences arising from an incident in October 2001 resulting in contamination of Allens Creek, a fish kill and air emissions in breach of licence conditions. For more information click here.
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