BY IAN CROUCH
Koppers Carbon Materials and Chemicals at Mayfield North has been fined after spilling coal tar pitch onto the wharf at the Port of Newcastle.
The Environment Protection Authority says around 2,000 litres of pitch was sprayed onto the wharf in March, with some going into the Hunter River while the material was being transferred from a tanker to the main Koppers plant.
The company has been fined $15,000 for the incident, the largest fine the EPA can issue under its legislation.
Koppers arranged a clean up and has changed its practices to ensure the incident doesn't happen again.
