EPA Victoria has issued fines to two companies for illegal actions as a result of waste dumping and burning activities, and concluded legal action against another company for odorous emissions.
The matters were:
- Illegal dumping:
A company which illegally dumped around 400 litres of septic waste on a public reserve was fined more than $7,500 for a breach of the Environment Protection Act 1970.
- A fire in a heap of compost waste:
A fire in a heap of compost waste at a composting facility has also resulted in a fine for more than $7,500 for a company. EPA Victoria reported that the incident was a breach of the EPA Licence for the site, and that a second breach of the Licence occurred when the company did not report the non-compliance in the required timely manner.
- Emitting odours offensive to humans:
Following a conviction on charges of air pollution offences consisting of emitting odours offensive to humans, the matter with one company was concluded with an order for payment of four times the amount of the original finding penalty to EPA in reasonable legal costs. The penalty upon conviction was $200,000 to fund an environmental project and the company has now been ordered to pay $818,000 to EPA for costs.
