Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined Wellington Shire Council more than $7,500 for breaching a condition of a pollution abatement notice at the Kilmany Resource Recovery Centre and Landfill.
EPA Gippsland Manager Stephen Lansdell said EPA launched an investigation of the site following pollution reports from the public alleging litter was leaving the landfill premises and impacting on the local environment.
“Once onsite EPA officers found areas of the landfill with piles of exposed waste that should have had at least 30 centimetres of soil cover to prevent the litter being blown about by the elements and leaving the property,” Mr Lansdell said.
“Under its EPA licence the company is required to cover over any exposed waste at the end of each operational day. In this case the waste has clearly not been covered and was exposed.”
Mr Lansdell said following the inspection EPA issued the council with a notice that required it to ensure exposed waste was covered to comply with its EPA licence conditions.
“A return inspection by EPA officers found further evidence of exposed waste at the site, which is a failure by the council to comply with the requirements of the EPA notice. This is why EPA has fined the Wellington Shire Council more than $7,500,” Mr Lansdell said.
Mr Lansdell said it is was important that cover was applied daily to all waste material so as to reduce vermin, contaminated stormwater issues and litter impacting on the local environment.
“This breach was avoidable; Wellington Shire Council is well aware of its licence conditions, and in this case correct management and monitoring of the exposed litter would have avoided the fine for failing to cover exposed waste,” Mr Lansdell 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