Page 53 - Plastics News January 2017

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Chemical leak at Shell's Pulau Australia seeks 'voluntary
Bukom oil and petrochem phase out' of microbeads
facility
Australia’s environment ministers will ban
Achemical leak was reported by Shell at its Pulau polyethylene
Bukom oil and petrochemical facility on January microbeads if
9, while a fire broke out at ExxonMobil's Jurong Island industry does not
chemical plant on Sunday morning, as per straittimes. take voluntary
com. No one was hurt in both incidents. Investigations action. Jeff Angel,
are underway at both Shell and ExxonMobil. A Shell director of the
spokesman said its chemical leak occurred in a unit that Sydney-based
was already closed for maintenance and that "mitigating Total Environment
measures were immediately taken". The Singapore Center and a
Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the director of the
chemical leak on Monday afternoon. As a precautionary Boomerang
measure, SCDF stationed resources at the site throughout Alliance, which
represents a cluster
the leak containment operation carried out by Shell of environmental
contractors. Shell did not say what the chemical was, groups, said the
citing commercial confidentiality. The spokesman added, move is “world leading.” Federal environment
"There is no adverse impact expected in the water or minister Josh Frydenberg met his eight counterparts
the surroundings. Shell has a health, safety, security and from all Australian states and territories in Sydney in
environment policy and we are strongly committed to November.
it." The fire at ExxonMobil's chemical plant happened at
5.30am on Sunday January 8 , and was put out by the SCDF They published a statement after the meeting that
and ExxonMobil's in-house emergency response team. said they would “work with businesses to achieve a
SCDF said the fire involved residual hydrocarbon. An voluntary phase out of microbeads, typically found in
ExxonMobil spokesman said: "Safety is a core value at all personal-care products, cosmetics and some cleaning
our operations and facilities. We learn from all incidents products” because of their “significant impacts” on
and use these learnings to reinforce our commitment to the marine environment.
continued safety improvement. "While we manage our
business with the goal of preventing incidents, we are The strongly worded statement said ministers agree
prepared for emergencies should they occur and can that industry must meet phase-out targets quickly
respond quickly and effectively." and comprehensively. The ministers will assess the
effectiveness of voluntary action in mid-2017. If it
has not resulted in an effective ban, “they will move
at that time to regulate to give effect to a ban,”
the statement said. Angel said the proposed ban is
world leading because it not only embraces cosmetic
uses but also cleaning products, such as polishes and
waxes.“This is the type of effective response needed
to the alarming problem of marine plastic pollution,”
Angel said.

53 • January 2017 • Plastics News