Explosive Cargo Stored Offshore Newcastle Causes Local Uproar

Orica has been using a cargo ship to house 3,000 tons of the mining explosive, ammonium nitrate, off Newcastle’s coast. This storage practice has caused uproar within residents, unions and the State Opposition. Concerns regarding human rights violations aboard the ship have also recently sparked.

The MCP Kopenhagen is being used to store the chemical offshore, as Orica does not have space or permission to keep it on land, according to a company statement. They are waiting for council approval of a storage facility at Denman in the Upper Hunter.

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) officials boarded the ship this weekend and reported conditions onboard as the worst they've seen in years. They said there was defective hardware; and the crewmen are rationed minimal water, rotten food, and are extremely underpaid. Concerns regarding safety and proper procedures when handling this highly toxic and dangerous substance have risen.

Officials believe that since Orica chartered the ship, they bear some responsibility for ensuring the safety of such a hazardous cargo. However, Orica representatives maintain that Newcastle residents are at no sort of risk in reference to the ammonium nitrate shipment. They also insist that the ship’s owners are responsible for the crew onboard, although they are investigating the conditions. The ship is only five years old, and when Orica chartered it the vessel had a five-star rating from the International Transport Federation, according to them.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority did a full inspection of the ship before it sailed, finding only relatively minor defects that were quickly resolved. The MUA wants the ship's crew immediately replaced, as they have been at sea for over a year under unacceptable conditions. The crew notified union members of their situation.

Many feel that Orica should be using an Australian ship with an Australian crew, where it's known the standards will be high, rather than a "flag of convenience" ship.

The cargo will remain at sea for 7 to 10 days before the ship returns to the harbor to discharge the ammonium nitrate.