Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) will update the community at a meeting at Footscray Town Hall on Thursday, September 6 in the wake of the West Footscray Factory fire.
EPA continues to monitor air quality around the incident and water quality at Stony Creek and northern bay beaches.
EPA officers will explain the latest water and air quality results to residents and businesses and answer questions, alongside other agencies involved in the incident and clean up.
Details:
Thursday, September 6
Footscray Town Hall, 61 Napier St
6.30pm start
In response to local community requests, EPA has released a table of its AirWatch data, showing levels from Thursday until Sunday.
Results from mobile sites at West Footscray and Altona Gate are available from when the monitoring became operational.
The table results should be read in conjunction with the AirWatch key.
Latest information:
Odour
Odours do not always indicate excessive levels of harmful substances. However, odours can still be offensive and cause health and amenity affects, especially to vulnerable groups, including young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immunities. As a precautionary measure, it is advised to avoid exposure to substances causing such odours.
Water
Dead fish have been reported in northern Port Phillip Bay, this is due to currents and wind moving fish from the area of Stony Creek backwash and is not likely to be due to contamination of Port Phillip Bay from fire water runoff. On Monday 3 September, Parks Victoria inspected northern Port Phillip Bay and reported no observations of discolouration or dead fish. Throughout the incident, EPA has been conducting comprehensive water sampling in Stony Creek and has been inspecting areas from Brighton through to Williamstown.
EPA will be investigating any potential breaches of the EPA Act that may have occurred.
Air
Over the next 12 hours, smoke generated by the fire will continue to significantly decrease.
EPA air monitoring stations at Brooklyn, Footscray, West Footscray, Altona Gate and North Altona are showing GOOD to VERY GOOD air quality in the LOW health category range.
Air quality is expected to remain in the GOOD or VERY GOOD PM2.5 and LOW health category range at all stations for the remainder of the incident.
Field observations report that very little smoke is detectable from the fire with some smoke haze over the fire itself, though there may be brief periods of increased smoke as crews work on the fire.