Chemical incidents in 1971-1986

1971 November	Altona High School evacuated due to accident at APC at the caustic soda treatment plant.
1981 November	North Melbourne. Semi-trailer truck loaded with 22 tones of swimming pool chemicals in plastic pails and jars over turned, release of chlorine fumes and fire.
1982 February	B. F Goodridge Altona. Massive escape (world record leak of 676 tonnes) of toxic vinyl chloride monomer into the atmosphere. Vinyl Chloride Monomer is one of the most potent cancer causing chemicals known. Low concentrations are known to be cancerous and may lead to birth defects. Fortunately for Altona, a major disaster was avoided on the day, because the wind was a southerly. It blew towards other parts of the Western Suburbs and the city. VCM has a life span of between 14-18 hours in the atmosphere.
October	Shell Company Australia. Yarraville Tanker overturned and 34,500 litres of petrol were spilled.
1985 April	Butlers Transport depot, Dynon Road Footscray. Warehouse fire raged for three hours. 170 different chemicals went up in smoke and enormous volumes of toxic fumes were pumped into the air. 73 people reported being adversly affected by smoke and fumes.
May	Chiltern. 30 homes evacuated when firemen (sic) feared a crashed liquid- petroleum gas tanker would explode.
"	Major fire at ethylene plant at Altona petrochemical complex resulting in burn injuries to three workers, one died.
June	Ethylene leak from Commercial Polymers plant
July	Scoresby. Seven fire people and two factory workers admitted to hospital after inhaling gas leaked from a faulty valve at a chemical plant.
October	Yarraville,12 people treated in hospital after a phosphorous leak from a chemical storage plant. Many of those effected were on the West Gate Bridge.
1986	Merridale. ICI Chemical company sought to subdivide a former chemical research site into 400 housing blocks. The Croydon City Council refused a permit until the site was decontaminated, which was estimated to cost up to 1 million dollars.
May	V/Line. West Melbourne. Three V/Line workers treated in hospital after liquid chlorine leak from a rail carriage in Dudley street.
October	Gyprock Factory. Fire resulted in a quantity of diesel fumes and solvents entering the Maribyrnong.