A hazard alert has been issued over a major chemical spill in Melbourne’s western suburbs that firefighters have been battling for almost three days.
Fire Rescue Victoria first responded to the incident at the headquarters of agricultural chemical giant Nufarm on Pipe Road in Laverton North on Friday, and said at the time users of nearby premises might notice an odour due to a hazardous liquid spill.
Successive alerts were then issued on Friday night and throughout Saturday before FRV and Vic Emergency updated their warnings on Sunday morning, advising residents of Altona North and Laverton North to stay informed due to a wind change blowing fumes towards Kororoit Creek Road.
“There is currently no threat to the community, but you should continue to stay informed and monitor conditions,” the alert reads.
FRV confirmed the chemical involved was methylamine, which is used to make pesticides, and an estimated 12,000 litres was spilled from a container, and said the incident was deemed “under control” by 6.47am on Sunday.
“The response was escalated and around 90 people were evacuated from the site. Firefighters used foam to control vapours,” a spokesperson told Noticer News.
“The incident was complex and firefighters worked extensively to ensure that there was no release of the chemical from the incident scene. The chemical was diluted with water so it could be safely removed from the site by dangerous goods specialists.
“Firefighters remain on the scene. A community warning was issued for odours in the area. Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police were on the scene. WorkSafe and the Environment Protection Authority were notified.”
Noticer News understands the incident occurred due to “equipment failure” at a production facility, but Nufarm is yet to comment on the spill, which is the first major incident at the facility in 15 years.
In 2011 a worker in his died at the site after being sprayed with a toxic chemical used to make weed killer when a section of interior pipe burst, and Nufarm was issued with five improvement notices by WorkSafe Victoria.
Three FRV trucks also responded to a non-structure fire within the alert zone on Sunday afternoon.
Header image: The current alert area (Vic Emergency).
