Update Wednesday 2 January 2019
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) officers have begun speaking with businesses that neighbour the chemical storage sites discovered in Epping and Campbellfield on Friday (28 December 2018).
Four chemical waste storage sites in Epping and three sites in Campbellfield were discovered during the joint agency investigation which followed from last year’s West Footscray industrial fire. EPA is withholding the addresses of the sites for legal and security reasons but will ensure direct contact with local stakeholders. Attempts to reach local business owners on Friday (28 December 2018) were incomplete with many closed over the holiday period.
The chemical stores are contained and there is no immediate risk to the community. However, security staff continue to maintain a 24-hour presence and EPA has deployed mobile air quality monitoring as a precautionary measure to assure the protection of local communities.
EPA, Worksafe, Hume City Council and Whittlesea Council have developed a joint engagement plan for ongoing contact with local stakeholders, service providers and industry to build local understanding of the issue.
EPA estimates it will be several weeks before a full inventory of the stockpiled chemical containers (which include 1,000 litre Intermediate Bulk Containers -IBC - and 200 litre drums), can be completed due to the number of containers discovered.
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.
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.