Update 4 pm Sunday
EPA continues to monitor the air quality and the security of seven sites involved in the illegal storage of chemical waste in Epping and Campbellfield, discovered on Friday 28 December 2018.
Mobile air quality monitoring is in place in Epping and Campbellfield as a precaution however, there is no immediate threat to the local community.
EPA, Hume City Council and Whittlesea Council are engaging with local stakeholders, service providers and industry to build local understanding of the issue. Officers from EPA Victoria will visit businesses in close proximity to the sites from Wednesday 2 January 2019.
BACKGROUND
Around the clock security remains on the site of Friday’s discovery of illegally stored chemical waste in Devon Ct, Epping, and at three sites in Campbellfield.
The waste is contained and there is no immediate risk to the community. Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is part of an inter-agency working group assessing the situation and preparing staged risk reduction actions at the sites.
Hume and Whittlesea Councils, EPA, WorkSafe and a range of other local and state based agencies are working in partnership to secure and monitor the site, engage local stakeholders and commence a process to reduce risks at the site over the coming weeks.
The waste was discovered during targeted inspections of industrial sites by EPA, fire agencies, Victoria Police and WorkSafe.
The inspections were the result of EPA’s investigative work following leads in the wake of the West Footscray warehouse fire in August.
The inspections detected concerning amounts of liquid chemical waste stored within warehouses at several sites.
EPA will not be commenting further on the ongoing investigation, but will continue providing updates on the management of the sites, and contacting the local community, businesses and other key stakeholders in proximity to the sites.
All of the agencies are working closely together in a whole of government response, placing priority on preventing harm to the community and the environment from pollution and waste.