In December 2013, the EPA announced the findings of stage one of the review, conducted by independent experts CDM Smith Australia.
These findings are that the risk of off-site soil contamination around the Botany Industrial Park is low, and that there is no evidence of illegal off-site dumping of mercury waste from the chlor-alkali plant that operated at Botany between 1944 and 2002. However to provide additional reassurance to the community, CDM Smith has recommended a program of environmental testing.
CDM Smith sent an open letter (PDF, 332KB) to community members in December 2013 outlining their findings and recommendations. The public was then invited to an information session hosted by the EPA at the Hillsdale Community Centre on 12 February 2014 to hear a presentation from CDM Smith of their findings and recommendations.
Download the final report of the Orica Botany Mercury Independent Review: Stage 1 – Data and Information Collection and Review (CDMSmithreportstage1.pdf 5.55MB).
Download materials from the public information session held on 12 February 2014:
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EPA presentation – background to the Mercury Review and stage one (MercuryReviewBackground140212.pdf 279KB)
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CDM Smith presentation – Findings and recommendations of Orica Botany Mercury Independent Review: Stage 1 – Data and Information Collection and Review (CDMSmithpresentation140212.pdf 4.2MB)
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EPA presentation – next steps in the Mercury Review (MercuryReviewNextSteps140212.pdf 31KB)
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EPA public information session (mercrevpis.pdf 106KB). Notes prepared by Elton Consulting.
See the full schedule for the Mercury Review.