Technological (man-made) hazards

Hazardous substances

Accidental hazardous substance release - risk to Auckland

Within the Auckland region, a variety of hazardous substances are transported, stored or utilised. Accidental release of these substances can cause harm to the health and safety of any person or the environment. Compared with other parts of New Zealand, e.g. Taranaki region, there are no significantly large hazardous substance production sites.

What is a hazardous substance?

A hazardous substance is any substance that may be: Explosive, flammable, able to oxidise, corrosive, toxic or eco-toxic. This could include: fireworks, a gas, an industrial solvent, an animal remedy, a cleaning fluid, the ingredients in a cosmetic, or a chemical used in manufacturing.

Hazardous substances in Auckland

New Zealand's largest city, Auckland has large quantities stored in the Penrose, Rosebank, Wiri and East Tamaki industrial areas and at the Freemans Bay tank farm.

How do accidental hazardous substances releases occur?

Accidental release of hazardous materials can occur as a result of natural hazards (e.g. volcanism, earthquake), transport accidents, lack of care during use, or as a result of inadequate storage or disposal. The effects of a hazardous substances release can be exacerbated if two hazardous substances stored in close proximity trigger a chemical reaction in the other. A hazardous substance release can affect a large area through large explosions or toxic gas plumes.

How can we prevent hazardous substances releases?

Appropriate storage and disposal of hazardous substances can significantly reduce the chances of an accidental hazardous substance release.

Has Auckland had any large hazardous substances releases?

Auckland has had a number of significant incidents involving hazardous substances since 1894. These are summarised below.

Source: Haggerty, A.J., (under review), Hazardous Materials Emergencies in New Zealand, Chapter X, In: Hand Book of Hazardous Material Spills Technology.

From the above information, we can see that in Auckland a serious incident involving hazardous substances is considered likely, on average, once every 10 years.

The risks associated with a serious incident involving hazardous substances are variable, and could be considerably greater than those experienced in the past. For example, it is possible that a hazardous substance incident in Auckland could result in:

• 10's of fatalities and hundreds of people requiring medical treatment or hospitalisation
• evacuation of up to 20 000 people
• short and long-term economic losses to businesses or industry due to down-time, staff absence, damage repair and site clean-up. Site clean-up may cost millions of dollars and resulting loss of site use for a prolonged period.

How are hazardous substances managed in New Zealand?

The Environmental Risk Management Authority has been established to administer the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, 1996. Visit their web site to find out how hazardous substances are managed in New Zealand, and whether or not you need to attain approval for importing or manufacturing hazardous substances.