BlueScope is reportedly planning to resume waste gas cleaning operations after Monday's fire using an older chimney with fewer emissions controls, raising serious concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Monday night's fire caused the collapse of a fibreglass chute at the steelwork's sinter plant, and the shutdown of the waste gas cleaning plant.
An EPA spokesman confirmed BlueScope had asked the agency to use an older stack, with less effective emissions controls, to resume operations.
"The issue is they are proposing to use the older stack, which doesn't have the same controls as the newer one did," the spokesman said.
"We are now asking them how they will continue to operate without breaching their licence conditions."
BlueScope general manager John Nowlan confirmed the company was looking to quickly resume operations.
"While the waste gas cleaning plant recovery continues, we are assessing options to restart the plant as soon as possible," Mr Nowlan said.
BlueScope will present a plan to the EPA on Wednesday, outlining how it plans to restart the plant and continue operations.
"There will be issues. We've asked for information about potential emissions from that older stack, because it doesn't have the tight controls that the one that burnt down does," the EPA spokesman said.
"There are concerns around that. We need to do risk analysis work."
BlueScope would not comment on whether it planned to rebuild the fallen stack, or the costs involved.
Air quality tests taken after Monday’s fire indicated there was no cause for concern around Port Kembla, despite large chunks of black fibreglass landing on homes.
Plumes of black smoke and flames were seen billowing from the steelworks on Monday afternoon, raising concerns about toxic chemicals in the air.
However, the impact on air quality was expected to be ‘‘relatively low’’ based on initial tests, an Environment Protection Authority spokesman said.
‘‘This monitoring did not indicate anything of concern, however we are following up with BlueScope’s on-site monitoring,’’ the spokesman said.
‘‘This was a relatively short-lived event...the late southerly change helped to blow smoke out to sea.’’
A statement from BlueScope said the black smoke was caused by burning fibreglass.
Social media posts claimed large sections of black fibreglass had landed in nearby yards, the EPA confirming ‘‘numerous’’ such reports.
‘‘We advise residents not to pick these up. We’ve asked BlueScope to establish a phone line for people to call, for BlueScope to clear it up,’’ the EPA spokesman said.
‘‘We are now sampling that material.’’
Warrawong resident Daniel Aquilina lives in Bent Street, several kilometres from the fire.
He said six pieces of fibreglass ‘‘bigger than my hand’’ landed in his yard.
‘‘There were pieces scattered all over the backyard,’’ he said.
‘‘It was like one of those end-of-the-world movies.’’
The EPA continued tests on Tuesday while fire crews and engineers determined the stack’s structural integrity and whether it needs to be demolished.
The chimney’s steel frame remained intact despite the collapse of its internal fibreglass casing.
BlueScope confirmed the fire broke out in the waste gas cleaning plant stack, located in the sinter plant.
BlueScope released a statement on Tuesday, saying nobody was injured and the plant was producing iron and steel.
The statement said the company was assessing operational implications and would provide an update on Wednesday.
About 60 firefighters from across the region responded.
BlueScope’s hotline is 1800 646 488.
