A Mill Park food manufacturing company has been hit with another $7773 fine from Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) after it failed to provide an environmental management plan in accordance with requirements outlining how they would prevent further industrial waste discharges from its site.
EPA issued Langtech International Pty Ltd with a $7773 fine last year following a community report about a yellowish discharge of waste in the Heaths Court Drain, a local creek and tributary of Plenty River, in July 2016.
The discolouration had a strong citrus odour and the creek contained orange peel and pulp that was being discharged through the stormwater drain.
The source of the pollution was traced back to Langtech International’s premises, in Heaths Court, where further investigations revealed orange peel and pulp surrounded a drain grate in a cooling tower plant.
EPA Metro Manager Daniel Hunt said in addition to the fine the company received over the spill last year, it was also issued with a Pollution Abatement Notice (PAN) requiring it provide EPA with an environmental management plan by January 2017.
“The company had until 16 January to provide EPA with the plan that had to include an environmental risk assessment, an assessment of waste and stormwater infrastructure on site, systems and procedures around waste and spill management and contingency planning for severe weather and loss of containment incidents,” he said.
“EPA received the plan two weeks past the due date and after reviewing the document, EPA found it failed to adequately address all of the requirements outlined in the notice.
“The discharge from the company had significant amenity impacts on the local community and certainly had the potential to harm any aquatic life it encountered.
“To provide EPA with an inadequate plan well past the due date which did not address all of the requirements to prevent further waste discharges from its site is simply not good enough.
“A PAN aims to prevent further occurrence of pollution by requiring companies install controls and changes to on site processes and practices to manage environmental risk.
“Failure to comply with a Pollution Abatement Notice is an offence under Section 31A (7) of the Environment Protection Act 1970. As a result, the company was issued with a $7773 fine.”
Mr Hunt said the company would now be issued with a new notice requiring they address the outstanding requirements of the notice by 14 August 2017.