Chemical release costs Queensland company $1m

Caption 1: The pipe was carrying a dangerous chemical mixture called spent liquor, which turned into a vapour plume that drifted into a nearby Gladstone residential area.
The pipe was carrying a dangerous chemical mixture called spent liquor, which turned into a vapour plume that drifted into a nearby Gladstone residential area.

Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) has been fined $1m for causing serious environmental harm following a major chemical release at its alumina refinery in 2022.

The release occurred when a pipe in a high-pressure system ruptured.

On Monday, QAL was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court and fined after pleading guilty to three offences against the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

The offences include one offence of unlawfully causing serious environmental harm and two offences of contravening a condition of its environmental authority.

According to the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) no injuries were reported. The incident, however, posed a potential significant risk to residents’ health, as spent liquor contains sodium hydroxide.

The incident caused more than $800,000 in insurance claims relating to property damage.

A Queensland DETSI spokesperson says the sentence highlights the department’s commitment to holding companies accountable for their actions and ensuring the safety of Queenslanders and the environment.

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