Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined Echuca company Riverside Meats Abattoirs Pty Ltd more than $15,000 for failing to comply with notices issued to address systems designed to manage offensive odours generated at its site.
EPA North West Regional Manager Scott Pigdon said EPA had issued the company the two notices earlier this year after inspections at its Goulburn Highway site found significant failings in the company's odour control infrastructure.
“These failures resulted in an increased risk of offensive odours leaving their premises and possible non-compliances with their EPA licence requirements,” Dr Pigdon said.
“EPA officers found odour coming from holding pens, waste and trade water pits, a rendering plant and a biofilter and issued the notices that required an assessment of the current odour control infrastructure at the premises.
“The notices also contained recommendations to address the deficiencies identified in order to reduce the risk of odour impacts. Under the notices, the assessment and subsequent report was due to be submitted to the EPA by June 2016,” Dr Pigdon said.
Dr Pigdon said Riverside Meats Abattoirs had failed to comply with both notices within the due dates and had been fined more than $15,000 by the EPA as a failure to comply with a remedial notice was an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1970.
“The company’s failure to comply with the remedial notice within the timeframes increased the risk of offensive odours leaving the boundaries of their premises and impacting on the amenity of surrounding neighbours, which is not acceptable” Dr Pigdon said.
Dr Pigdon said one of the notices had since been complied with, however the outstanding notice required improvements to the company’s biofilter and the notice remained in place.
“The purpose of the biofilter, if designed to best practice and correctly maintained, is to capture and treat foul odours from their operations,” Dr Pigdon said.
“EPA expects industry to take its environmental obligations seriously and when a notice is issued to remediate a risk these must be complied with. EPA will continue to monitor the company to ensure it meets the requirements of the notice in the near future.”
Riverside Meats Abattoirs was also fined more than $7,000 last year for failing to comply with a notice requiring the company to improve waste water containment at its site.
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