Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined Baxter Business Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd, almost $8000 for failing to cover waste at its Fraser Road landfill in Clayton as required under its EPA licence.
EPA Southern Metro Manager Marleen Mathias said this was the third fine issued to the company in less than six months, and brought the total amount of infringements since August 2017 to over $23,000.
“It’s very disappointing that this operator continues to breach its EPA licence conditions at the Fraser Road landfill – EPA have now issued Cleanaway with six official warnings and three fines over the last two years for breaches relating to failing to cover waste, landfill gas and leachate issues,” Ms Mathias said.
Ms Mathais said that by correctly covering waste at the landfill the company would reduce possible impacts on the environment such as litter being blown off site and odour leaving the boundary premises.
“A requirement of the company’s EPA licence is that a layer of soil at least 15 centimetres thick must be placed over solid inert waste and a layer of soil at least 30cm thick placed over all other wastes; or an alternative cover approved by EPA in writing with the exception of waste being deposited and compacted at the working face of the landfill,” Ms Mathias said.
“An EPA inspection of the site found that this had not occurred, and that the company was clearly in breach of its licence, which is why this fine has been handed down.”
Ms Mathias said that even though the landfill was now closed, EPA would continue to regulate the site and ensure the duty holder continued to rehabilitate the site and remained compliant with the requirements of its EPA licence.
“EPA will continue to hold Cleanaway to account and if further breaches of the Environment Protection Act 1970 are identified, EPA will undertake enforcement action in line with its Compliance and Enforcement Policy,” Ms Mathias said.
Ms Mathias said EPA actively regulated all landfills in the Clayton area and would continue to do so.
“EPA regularly inpsects landfills in the Clayton area and has been at the Fraser Road landfill on a number of occasions over the last year, which led to the identification of these offences the company has been fined over $23,000 for,” Ms Mathias said
Under the Environment Protection Act 1970 and the Infringements Act 2008, Baxter Business Pty Ltd has the right to have the decision to issue the infringement notice reviewed or alternatively to have the matter heard and determined by a court.
EPA encourages anyone experiencing odour issues in the Clayton area, call EPA’s pollution hotline on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC).