Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Evaporator Incident)

Land and Environment Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Evaporator Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 104 Hearing dates:5, 6, 10 and 12 December 2012 and 20 May 2013Decision date: 28 July 2014 Jurisdiction:Class 5Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [168]. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: breach of licence condition - failure to carry out licensed activities in a competent manner - guilty plea - applicable sentencing principles - whether totality principle applicable - whether De Simoni principle applicable - comparable cases - imposition of appropriate penalty. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3A, 21A, 22, 22A, 23 Criminal Procedure Act 1986, ss 257B, 257G Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, ss 3, 64, 148, 152, 174, 241, 250(1) Cases Cited: Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Nitric Acid Air Lift Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 103 Environment Protection Authority v Unomedical Pty Limited (No 4) [2011] NSWLEC 131 R v De Simoni [1981] HCA 31; (1981) 147 CLR 383 Category:SentenceParties: Environment Protection Authority (Prosecutor) Orica Australia Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Mr S Rushton SC and Mr D A Hughes (Prosecutor) Mr T A Game SC, Mr D Jordan SC and Ms K Edwards (Defendant) Office of Environment and Heritage (Prosecutor) Ashurst Lawyers (Defendant) File Number(s):50282 of 2012 JudgmentOrica Pleads Guilty to a Breach of Licence Offence Causing Ammonium Nitrate to Escape to the AtmosphereThe defendant, Orica Australia Pty Ltd ("Orica"), has pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Protection...