A McKenzie Hill resident caught illegally accepting industrial waste at a Flagstaff property has incurred a clean-up bill of an estimated $6,000 and a fine of almost $2,000 following an investigation by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
EPA North West Regional Manager, Dr Scott Pigdon said EPA officers attended the site at Flagstaff, east of Maryborough, following a call from a member of the community to EPA’s pollution hotline.
“EPA officers found piles of concrete, timber, metal and plasterboard as well as a stockpile of waste tyres measuring 10 metres in length and 3 metres in width. Several skip bins were also full of industrial waste,” Dr Pigdon said.
“On further inspection, EPA officers found a dam on the premises contained concrete and was partially filled with soil.”
Under the Environment Protection Act 1970, anyone who dumps or permits the dumping of industrial waste on public or private property is guilty of an offence.
Dr Pigdon said the occupier of the Flagstaff site had been issued with a $1,866 fine and a clean-up notice requiring the waste be removed at their own cost.
“If you permit the disposal of waste at a site not licensed to accept it, you not only run the risk of a fine or prosecution, but significant clean-up costs,” Dr Pigdon said.
“In this case, it’s estimated clean-up will cost close to $6,000.”
EPA has an Illegal Dumping Strikeforce to reduce the dumping of industrial waste on public and private land. The Strikeforce team works together with land managers such as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and local councils to investigate illegal dumping.
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