Chemical incidents in 1991

January	Black smoke and fall out from Petroleum Refineries Australia
"	Fire in blender at Compol
"	800 kg of ethylene released into the atmosphere at Compol
"	Compol leaks polyethylene into the atmosphere
"	Hoescht discharges pigment into a storm water drain
"	Hoescht spill polyethylene powder on to the roadway
"	Fire at Chemplex in Somerville road, Footscray, occurring in a reactor in a section of the plant during a purging operation associated with changing a catalyst.
March	Chemical spill at Hoescht in Altona North, caused by a solvent used to make paint that had leaked from a tank.
"	Truck carrying propane explodes on the Hume highway, causing major damage. This illustrates the potential disaster consequences of the massive amounts of propane which are stored on Coode Island
June	Nitroglycerine explodes at the Defence Department's Maribyrnong explosive factory as a result of staff burning off volatile oil.
July	Altona Petrochemical Company convicted of air pollution charges in relation to incidents on March 26 and April 12 1990. Fined: $12,500
August	Toilet rolls and tyres burn at Ferrari Transport Depot in Hyde Street Footscray, causing explosions. The Fire brigade had trouble finding the owner, there was no manifest, they intially thought that toxic chemicals might be involved, LPG gas cilinders exploded and authorities did not enact Displan or emergency procedure, despite the possible danger of toxic gas in the atmosphere.
"	Garbagemen overcome by fumes coming from white powder in the back of their garbage truck. The two council workers were collecting household rubbish in Birdwood Street. Police sealed off the area and evacuated 150 people
"	The Environment Protection Authority was called to Chemplex Manufacturing Laverton Forsyth Road Laverton after residents complained of an offensive odor which led to stinging eyes, dry mouths, upset stomachs and headaches. The EPA later determined that a tank containing a mixture of chemicals had overheated causing the bad smell.
September	Williamstown's Gellibrand pier put on red alert after a spill of 300 litres of Naphtha.
"	50 litres of Amonia spilt at Four and Twenty pie factory in Arden Street Kensington. Emergency services shut of surrounding streets.
"	Altona Petrochemical Company pleads guilty at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court to a charge of air pollution, relating to the discharge of highly odourous ethyl mercaptan on December 22 1990
October	Spill of acid at Laverton Air Base
"	Oxyacetelene cylinders explode at Commonwealth Industrial Gases Ltd plant in Bell Street, Preston, causing a blaze, an evacuation of 1000 people and asbestos which was in the roof to be sprayed all over Preston.
November	Fire at JVH PTY Ltd involving chlorine at Tullamarine Park Drive in Tullamarine Industrial area. Chlorine gas released, and the reaction of water with chlorine produced Hydrochloric Acid which may have leaked into the water table.
December	Fire at Altona Petrochemical complex, Maidstone Street, involving bitumen. MFB said there was a danger of chain reaction with other tanks and one man received 75% of burns to his body and was taken to hospital. As during the Coode Island disaster, the automatic firefighting systems were knocked out in the first few minutes.
"	Chemical fire in the back of an industrial wast truck in Ashley Street Braybrook, releasing unknown toxic fumes. The driver was overcome and taken to hospital and 70 people were evacuated. The waste was eventually dumped at Sunshine tip. MFB said that someone had illegally dumped the chemicals in what was supposed to be non-toxic waste.
"	The December 2 fire at Altona Petrochemical Complex fire flares up again, bringing back memories of the Coode Island disaster.
"	Contaminated firewater from Altona Petrochemical Complex released down the sewer
"	Spill at Hoescht