NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says he won't put up with companies breaching environmental laws, following a second toxic leak in a Newcastle river.
Mr O'Farrell was responding to calls for a major review of the state's pollution laws after a second toxic chemical leak at a factory owned by mining giant Orica.
The company confirmed a discharge of 1.2 megalitres of effluent, containing arsenic, poured into the Hunter River at Newcastle on Friday.
The leak came from its Kooragang Island manufacturing plant, the same location from which plumes of toxic hexavalent chromium escaped last week.
Mr O'Farrell told Macquarie Radio on Saturday that he would not put up with companies breaching the law.
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"I'm not going to put up with any company that fails to adhere to the state's environmental laws and (when) its failure to do so threatens public safety or causes harm to our environment," Mr O'Farrell said.
"I just don't think it's fair that families have to put up with fears for their health and safety because companies are breaching the state's strict environmental laws."
Orica is already under fire for taking days to inform Stockton residents about toxic plumes of hexavalent chromium that escaped from the same plant last week.
There have been calls for Environment Minister Robyn Parker's resignation after it emerged she waited almost 24 hours before notifying the public.
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) said Friday's leak posed no public health risk.
