Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined a Tottenham man more than $1800 for allowing an estimated 200 litres of diesel to spill from his truck across a 500 metre stretch of road and into a stormwater drain.
EPA officers became aware of the incident after they were called to respond to an emergency diesel spill at Patrick Stevedores Operations, on Anderson Road in West Melbourne in October last year.
When they arrived, they found a significant amount of fuel had spilled from the truck, caused by a rupture in the tank after the driver hit a bollard while exiting the site’s terminal area.
The spill spread across 500 metres of road and flowed into a nearby stormwater drain. Samples taken from the drain, truck and terminal area showed hydrocarbons consistent with diesel.
The spill was subsequently cleaned up by Patrick Stevedores Operations using absorbent material and a street sweeper.
The man was fined $1820 under section 27A(2)(a) of the Environment Protection Act 1970 for abandoning industrial waste at a site not licensed to accept it.
EPA Acting Metropolitan Manager, Danny Childs said the fine highlighted that individuals also had a responsibility to protect the environment.
“EPA’s investigation found the driver was aware of the rupture but made the unfortunate decision to leave the site’s terminal area – a decision that resulted in diesel spilling all over the road and into a stormwater drain,” he said.
“EPA’s investigation found there was a spill kit right where the driver hit the bollard. Both business owners and individuals must be aware of their environmental and regulatory responsibilities to ensure offsite discharges do not impact on the environment.
“In this case, the truck driver should have alerted the terminal operators immediately when the incident occurred before leaving the site.”
EPA urges members of the public to continue reporting suspected pollution to the EPA on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC) or at www.epa.vic.gov.au