Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined an Axedale resident more than $1800 for illegally depositing and burning industrial waste removed from a demolished house in Golden Square.
EPA North West Regional Manager Scott Pigdon said an EPA investigation at a site in Golden Square was conducted following a call from a member of the community to the EPA pollution hotline.
“The caller alleged that industrial waste from the demolition of a Golden Square home was being removed and illegally dumped at another site to avoid landfill fees,” Dr Pigdon said.
“Once onsite, EPA officers found the waste was being removed and were also informed that it was being taken to a rural property in Axedale to be recycled.”
Dr Pigdon said the EPA investigation then moved to the Axedale property and found a large stockpile of industrial waste, measuring about eight metres by eight metres and stacked almost two metres high, near a dam.
“It was disappointing to find such a large pile of industrial waste that included, amongst other recyclable materials, metal ceiling tiles, corrugated iron sheets, metal guttering and down pipes, a metal sink, an oven, an air conditioning unit and a metal playground swing set,” Dr Pigdon said.
“EPA officers also found the remnants of a pile of burnt materials that included broken glass, paint, treated timber, scrap metal, insulation-type material and tiles.”
Dr Pigdon said the illegal dumping of industrial waste at a site not licensed to accept it was an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1970.
“The person responsible is an experienced building practitioner within the region and would be well aware of their obligations in relation to waste management and disposal; this offence was easily preventable,” Dr Pigdon said.
Dr Pigdon said the environmental impacts of the illegal dumping were hard to measure but given the observations from the EPA investigation it was possible that toxic fumes were produced as a result of the fire.
“However, the health impacts in this case were likely quite low as the premise is relatively isolated from others. Also, there were no reports to EPA about the burning of waste from the site,” Dr Pigdon said.
EPA urges members of the public to continue reporting suspected pollution to EPA on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC) or at www.epa.vic.gov.au