North St Marys fire
On Saturday 29 November 2025, a large chemical fire occurred at Coopers Environmental Waste Recycling Pty Ltd (Coopers Environment), in North St Marys.
The premises receives and stores hazardous chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and is licensed by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
The EPA has commenced an investigation into the incident.
Incident response
The EPA responded to the incident in the early hours of Sunday 30 November 2025, with sampling commencing the same day.
An initial Clean Up Notice was issued to Coopers Environmental in early December, requiring the company to immediately prevent the migration of pollution from the premises and remove oil from the impacted areas.
To date, clean-up contractors have removed 800,000 litres of liquid waste, including 295,000 litres from the Coopers site and 505,000 litres from South Creek / Wianamatta and a nearby tributary via 108 tanker loads.
The clean-up crews have been using oil skimmers, absorbent booms and vacuum tankers to remove the oil.
The EPA has been conducting comprehensive sampling in the area, including water quality monitoring in nearby creeks, soil, dust and ash sampling. This work includes testing for polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
The remaining waste and oil residues contain PCBs, which present a risk of harm to those who come into direct contact with it. PCBs are hazardous chemicals historically used in transformers as coolants and have been banned since the 1980s and are being gradually phased out of older electrical equipment.
We are continuing to closely oversee the clean-up operations and have recently issued a second Clean Up Notice to Coopers, requiring the company to take additional action to address ongoing pollution in surrounding areas.
Community advice
Community members should stay clear of the impacted area including waterways while clean-up operations are being undertaken.
The public should avoid contact with the unnamed creek adjacent to the facility on Kurrajong Road, and South Creek / Wianamatta until its junction with Hawkesbury River, while clean-up operations are underway.
Road closures and exclusion zones have been imposed around the facility to prevent community members from entering the affected areas.
If you are a resident and have identified waste material or waste residues on your property that you think may be associated with the fire, please avoid contact with the waste. Report it to the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555 or by emailing [email protected].
NSW Health advises if you have direct contact with the waterway or material from the fire, wash your skin with soap and water.
Advice for businesses
We recommend all businesses that have been affected by liquid waste, oils or residues from the incident seek further advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as an occupational hygienist to undertake a site-specific assessment to identify any risks and safety measures required.
If businesses have further questions, please contact the NSW Environment Line on 131 555 or by emailing [email protected].
Water quality monitoring
The EPA has been conducting comprehensive water quality monitoring downstream of the site to assess and manage any potential impacts to the environment.
We have installed dissolved oxygen loggers in South Creek / Wianamatta to support our ongoing assessment. These loggers record data frequently (every 10–20 minutes), giving us a detailed picture of water conditions. Based on the data collected so far, we have not observed any dissolved oxygen levels of concern.
Temporary ban on water pumping from South Creek / Wianamatta
Following the fire, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) issued a temporary water restrictions order (section 324 order), placing a ban on taking water from the South Creek / Wianamatta water source between 11 Kurrajong Road, North St Marys downstream to the junction with the Hawkesbury River.
A second order was issued by DCCEEW on 19 December 2025 and is currently set to remain in place until 9 January 2026.
For more information visit the Wianamatta-South Creek Water Source (Order No 2) 2025 web page on the DCCEEW website.