ORICA SOLVENTS PLANT
CLIENT
SHE Pacific Pty Ltd
LOCATION
Botany, NSW
INDUSTRY
Chemical
DURATION
Nov 94 – Feb 95
SERVICE
Industrial Demolition & Deconstruction; and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Removal
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The demolition to slab level of entire contaminated Solvents Plant in the Orica Industrial Area at Botany NSW was a Major Projects Group project which was completed in 10 weeks.
SCOPE OF WORK
The contract included hydro blasting/ decontamination of all material on site prior to disposal and/or remelt, storage of over contaminated material onsite into disused tank farm and reseal tanks and all control measures dealing with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) contamination.
The waste was a by-product of the manufacture of chlorinated solvents and, to a smaller extent vinyl chloride, a process that commenced in the 1960’s and ceased in 1991 after which the solvents plant ceased operations and was decommissioned.
UNIQUE CHALLENGES

Hydroblasting.
CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS
The contaminated material was processed, ready to be disposed of selectively to landfill, scrap or onsite storage facilities.
The contaminated scrap metal was hydro-blast in readiness for remelt. All site personnel were made familiar with the site contaminants (HCBs) and followed strict guidelines in their everyday work methods.
All demolition was carried out with a 160 tonne excavator fitted with a 140R rotating shear attachment. Concrete clean-up was conducted using a 20 tonne excavator.
RESULTS
Approximately 22,000 tonnes of (“HCB”) and related waste was stored at the Botany site in purpose-built licensed storage facilities, constituting one of the world’s last remaining large stockpiles of this type of waste.
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