Dust problems at an industrial property in Brooklyn have led to a fine of more than $8,000 for the owners, after Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s (EPA) nearby monitoring station detected falling air quality.
EPA Metro Region Manager Daniel Hunt said the fine is for failing to comply with an official EPA order to take action to reduce the dust problem.
“There are homes 400 metres south of the 10 hectare site on Bunting Road, and EPA’s air quality monitoring confirmed that any northerly wind has been carrying dust in their direction,” Mr Hunt said.
“EPA issued the site’s owners with a Pollution Abatement Notice (PAN), requiring them to have the trafficked areas of the site constructed of a durable material to stop mud and dust going beyond the boundaries of the premises. The deadline on that official notice was 26 October 2018,” he said.
“EPA officers inspected the site the day before the deadline, and found some areas had been laid with recycled bitumen, and a water cart was in operation to suppress dust, but the measures were not sufficient.”
The owners of the site have been issued with a fine of $8,060, and the requirements of the official notice still apply. EPA will continue to monitor the site and work with the owners, and may take further action.
The owners have a dust management plan outlining actions and management measures to mitigate dust, and have committed to revising their plan.
Under the Environment Protection Act 1970 and the Infringements Act 2008, the owners have the right to have the decision to issue the infringement notice internally reviewed or alternatively to have the matter heard and determined by a court.
“It is very disappointing that despite public messages, advice and official notices from EPA, some owners and operators of sites north of Geelong Road in Brooklyn are failing to take action to prevent problems with dust,” Mr Hunt said.
“The solutions are not complicated, there are tried and tested ways to prevent dust, and an official notice from EPA gives the owner or operator a chance to fix it and avoid a fine,” he said.
EPA Victoria is actively involved in reducing pollution and environmental impacts from the Brooklyn Industrial Precinct, working with residents, industry and other groups.
The actions so far include the presence of full time EPA air quality monitoring stations, proactive work with the companies that operate several key sites, and basing an EPA Officer for the Protection of the Local Environment (OPLE) with local councils to proactively identify and respond to dust, odour and other amenity concerns.
“EPA will continue to maintain a presence in the Brooklyn area and work to change behaviours that impact on the community and environment, through support-to-comply activities and enforcement action,” Mr Hunt said.
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 introduces a criminally enforceable General Environmental Duty, a responsibility for anyone whose activities may involve pollution to take reasonable steps to eliminate risk to human health and the environment.
EPA’s air monitoring data is available via EPA AirWatch at:
https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/monitoring-the-environment/epa-airwatch
Members of the public can report pollution via EPA’s 24-hour hotline, 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842 ) or the EPA website www.epa.vic.gov.au