Water contaminated with paint that found its way to a local creek has cost a Clayton company an $8,000 fine from Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
EPA Southern Metro Region Manager, Marleen Mathias, said the investigation began in response to a report of paint in Moral Creek, Clayton.
“EPA officers observed a white substance running from a drain outlet into Moral Creek, and traced the paint to the premises of Plain Pallets Pty Ltd at 88 Garden Road,” Ms Mathias said.
The investigation revealed that paint equipment had been washed in a sink that was connected to an external downpipe leading into the stormwater system.
“Paint in a local creek can kill aquatic plants and animals and lead to the loss of vital oxygen in the water, a common cause of fish kills,” Ms Mathias said.
“That kind of environmental damage in creeks can be distressing for people walking and riding along those waterways through the suburbs,” she said.
EPA is now satisfied the company has taken action to prevent any further contamination: the pipe leading from the sink to the stormwater system has been disconnected and the company has brought in a new system where water used to wash paint equipment is recycled and reused.
“EPA expects business and industry to assess and know the risks of their operations and have processes and controls in place to prevent harm to the environment,” Ms Mathias said.
Under the Environment Protection Act 1970 and the Infringements Act 2008, the company 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 is now preparing for new legislation to take effect in 2020, that will give it a stronger focus on prevention and substantially increase potential penalties. The legislation also introduces a criminally enforceable General Environmental Duty, requiring people conducting activities that pose a risk to human health and the environment from pollution and waste to take reasonable steps to eliminate or reduce them.
EPA encourages an anyone who spots suspected pollution to call EPA’s Pollution Hotline on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC).