❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding reportable incidents of venting or leaks at Yara Pilbara Fertilisers and Yara Pilbara Nitrates facilities on the Burrup Peninsula, including details of a specific incident involving a motor-operated valve.
AnsweredQoN 499Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
YARA PILBARA FERTILISERS PTY LTD — YARA
PILBARANITRATES PTY LTD — REPORTABLE INCIDENTS
499. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister
representing the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the operations of Yara
Pilbara Fertilisers Pty Ltd and Yara Pilbara Nitrates Pty Ltd on the Burrup
Peninsula.
(1) How many
reportable incidents of venting or leaks have there been in the last year?
(2) Was there an
incident involving a motor-operated valve on 16 January 2016?
(3) If yes to (2), what was the size
of the chemical component of that leak or vent?
(4) What was the prevailing wind at
the time of the incident?
(5) On what date
or dates was the department advised of the incident and did it visit the site?
PILBARANITRATES PTY LTD — REPORTABLE INCIDENTS
499. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister
representing the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the operations of Yara
Pilbara Fertilisers Pty Ltd and Yara Pilbara Nitrates Pty Ltd on the Burrup
Peninsula.
(1) How many
reportable incidents of venting or leaks have there been in the last year?
(2) Was there an
incident involving a motor-operated valve on 16 January 2016?
(3) If yes to (2), what was the size
of the chemical component of that leak or vent?
(4) What was the prevailing wind at
the time of the incident?
(5) On what date
or dates was the department advised of the incident and did it visit the site?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question.
(1) There were 10.
(2) Yes.
(3) The licensee
reported that 4 601 tonnes of process gas was vented to the atmosphere between
1730 hours on 16 January 2016 and 0600 hours on 20 January 2016. The estimated
composition of the gas vented is as follows: nitrogen, 2 681 tonnes; carbon
dioxide, 959 tonnes; hydrogen, 451 tonnes; methane, 182 tonnes; carbon
monoxide, 136 tonnes; water, 125 tonnes; argon, 53 tonnes; and ethane, 14 tonnes.
No ammonia was vented.
(4) The
prevailing wind direction at 1500 hours on the first day of the incident, as
monitored at Karratha airport, was from the north–north east. The
incident duration was over three days, and wind direction and speed varied over
this time.
(5) The
Department of Environment Regulation was notified of the incident at 1351 hours
on 18 January 2016. The department did not attend the site as the release was
considered low risk as it primarily consisted of atmospheric gases.
of the question.
(1) There were 10.
(2) Yes.
(3) The licensee
reported that 4 601 tonnes of process gas was vented to the atmosphere between
1730 hours on 16 January 2016 and 0600 hours on 20 January 2016. The estimated
composition of the gas vented is as follows: nitrogen, 2 681 tonnes; carbon
dioxide, 959 tonnes; hydrogen, 451 tonnes; methane, 182 tonnes; carbon
monoxide, 136 tonnes; water, 125 tonnes; argon, 53 tonnes; and ethane, 14 tonnes.
No ammonia was vented.
(4) The
prevailing wind direction at 1500 hours on the first day of the incident, as
monitored at Karratha airport, was from the north–north east. The
incident duration was over three days, and wind direction and speed varied over
this time.
(5) The
Department of Environment Regulation was notified of the incident at 1351 hours
on 18 January 2016. The department did not attend the site as the release was
considered low risk as it primarily consisted of atmospheric gases.
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