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EPA wants report on latest Orica leak

The New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it is seeking a full report about the latest leak from an Orica chemical plant.

EPA officers spent part of the night at Orica's Port Kembla facility after the company reported a spill of sulphuric acid late yesterday afternoon.

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Orica says about 3,000 to 4,000 litres of the acid leaked from a small hole in a ship to shore pipeline, but was contained in a concrete safety culvert.

The EPA says the spill did not cause any harm to the environment but it has requested a full report from Orica.

"A pipe appears to have fractured and some of the material that was being transferred from ship to shore - sulphuric acid - leaked into and spilled into a culvert, but it was completely contained within the culvert. That's what the culvert is designed to do," acting chief environmental regulator Mark Gifford EPA said.

Mr Gifford says he is concerned about the ongoing incidents with Orica.

"Well it is extremely disappointing... following a number of other incidents. I called the head of Orica, Graeme Liebolt, last night to talk to him about this particular incident," he said.

"He's also concerned and he is looking into it. We are closely watching the operations, all of the operations of Orica."

It is the latest in a series of accidents at Orica plants, including a toxic leak of hexavalent chromium that led to the shut down of its Kooragang Island facility in Newcastle.

On Thursday Mr Liebelt told the company's annual general meeting the leaks had damaged Orica's reputation and were an "enormous wake-up call".

"The fact is though that we've damaged the relationship with the community and we will have to work to rebuild that trust," he said.

"In short, it's been an enormous wake-up call for our company and we'll apply that learning to all of our major sites."

Outside the meeting Mr Liebolt told reporters the solution was simple.

"I think the reality is we've just got to demonstrate a period of improved performance before that trust will be rebuilt," he said.

New South Wales Environment Minister Robyn Parker says she is shocked and very disappointed to hear of the latest leak and is waiting for an updated report from the EPA.

The latest spill comes after Orica could not re-start its Newcastle ammonia facility on Thursday due to a problem in a part of the plant.