The NSW Government has commenced remediation of a former waste oil processing facility in the Maitland suburb of Rutherford, after taking over the site from the former owner.
The Government has advised that Property & Development NSW will lead the remediation work, with regulatory oversight from NSW EPA.
The NSW Minister for Environment said remediation will be completed in two stages, with all above-ground infrastructure and waste that is stored on site to be removed before work begins on soil and groundwater remediation.
The facility ceased operations in 2016 and the owner placed into liquidation, with the environment protection licence suspended in 2018. The former owner was fined, convicted and ordered to pay NSW EPA more than $1.2 million for the site clean-up, and criminal proceedings for failures to comply with the Clean-Up Notice issued by NSW EPA and a Prohibition Notice issued by the NSW Minister for the Environment are currently ongoing.
