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

Land and Environment Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Jackhammer Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 105 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 [138]. 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, 23 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, ss 3, 64, 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):50312 of 2012 JudgmentOrica Pleads Guilty to a Breach of Licence Offence that Occurred When a Worker Ruptured a Pipe With a Jackhammer Causing the Emission of Ammonia The defendant, Orica Australia Pty Ltd ("Orica"), pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Protection of the Environment...