Sarp UK LTD Fined £120,000 For Waste And Health And Safety Violations
In July, the company pleaded guilty to four charges brought in a joint case by the U.K. Environment Agency and the U.K. Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
After the hearing, Environment Agency officer Neil Smith, said the agency was delighted with the outcome of the court case.
"The level of penalty reflects the seriousness of this case and brings to a close a lengthy and detailed investigation by the agency," said Smith. "It also serves as a warning to other companies that they must exercise adequate control over hazardous waste on their sites."
The court heard testimony that Sarp UK Ltd. had a contract with British Aerospace at Kidderminster to collect and dispose of a mixed load of sulfuric and nitric acid. The load was collected on May 13, 1998, by a Sarp UK Ltd. vehicle and transported directly to the treatment center at Norwood Industrial Estate, Killamarsh.
The tanker arrived at around 2 p.m. on 13 May. Given the high strength of the load, making it unsuitable for storage, employees tried to unload the waste from the rear valve of the tanker into a treatment tank via a filter pot, which caught fire. It was then decided the load had arrived too late for treatment that day, and so the tanker was parked in a parking lot on the site.
The following afternoon, a driver reported that liquid was leaking from the rear of the tanker and it was moved to a different part of the site, where any leaks could be better contained. But the leak got progressively worse until liquid was pouring out and the acid reacted with one of the vehicle's rear tires and caught fire.
The liquid generated an orange-brown cloud of nitrogen dioxide gas, which drifted off towards Killamarsh village. The Fire Service and staff at the site tried to control the leak and decided to decant the remaining liquid into a second tanker. By then, all that remained from the 9.48 tons that had arrived on site was one gallon.
After the incident the HSE removed the seal from the tanker and it was found to have failed completely. The manufacturer of the seal stated that it should not be used with strong acids and hydrocarbons.
Members of the public and one fire officer went to hospital for treatment after the incident.
The court was told about another incident that occurred on May 29, 1998. The plant was expecting a delivery of nitric and hydrofluoric acid, which was to be placed in one of four storage tanks used for incoming waste.
At about 8 p.m., it was discharged into a tank, which also contained hydrochloric acid and a layer of sludge up to 1 meter deep. The company put the nitric acid into the tank containing hydrochloric acid in breach of its own procedures.
The next day at approximately 11 a.m., fumes were seen coming from the vent and about two minutes later the tank burst, splitting from top to bottom. It is not known whether or not there was a pre-existing defect in the tank.
It is believed that an exothermic reaction occurred within the tank as the acid mixed with the material in the sludge. The extent of the reaction is unclear but it resulted in significant quantities of nitrogen dioxide after the tank split, and up to 1.3 tons of nitrogen dioxide was lost.
A large orange-brown cloud of nitrogen dioxide gas drifted over the village of Killamarsh and several members of the public reported suffering injuries from the gas.