Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined a Brooklyn meat processing company $7,773 for allowing offensive odours, described as smelling like urine and manure, to leave its site and impact the local community.
Despite fining JBS Australia for allowing offensive odours to leave its site in April 2016, EPA continued to receive several community reports in August last year that a strong offensive odour was impacting on Yarraville residents.
An EPA officer visited the area and confirmed the smell was consistent with livestock, urine and manure and could be detected in and around Ballard Street, Kidman Street, Somerville Road and Stooke Street in Yarraville.
The officer conducted odour testing and traced the same offensive smell back to the company’s cattle yards located on the site’s south-east corner, at Industry Park Drive, Brooklyn.
EPA Metro Manager Dan Hunt said the officer then inspected the premises and found that the offensive odour at the cattle yards was consistent with what was detected in residential areas in Yarraville.
“This same company received a fine for odour offences only a few months before so it’s disappointing that EPA continued to receive reports from community about how they were being impacted.”
“Allowing odour to discharge from the company’s site is a breach of their EPA licence and an offence under section 27(2) of the Environment Protection Act 1970.
“The company was subsequently issued with a $7,773 fine. The company also has two current EPA remedial notices in place that require them to address stockyard odour and rendering plant procedures.”
“Licence holders need to have processes to prevent environmental impacts and be able to demonstrate they are complying with their licence. The company has allowed odours to leave its site and impact on local communities, a clear breach of its EPA licence, which is why this fine has been handed down.”
EPA urges members of the public to report suspected pollution to EPA on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC) or at www.epa.vic.gov.au