NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) officers have inspected 12 waste sites across NSW as part of a proactive compliance and inspection campaign.
The unannounced coordinated checks were carried out on Friday 28 August 2020 to verify each facility is operating in compliance with conditions set in their environment protection licence issued by the EPA, which are in place to protect the environment and human health.
EPA officers inspected 10 Sydney facilities and one in both the Hunter and the Illawarra, which are all part of the Bingo Group of waste and recycling companies.
Each site was assessed for compliance with waste management practices, pollution controls, stormwater runoff, dust emissions, emergency response plans and chemical storage to ensure operations were being carried out in a competent and efficient manner and plant and equipment were properly maintained and operated.
EPA Director Major Compliance and Investigations Greg Sheehy said the EPA was committed to ensuring all licenced premises were vigilant about protecting the environment.
“EPA compliance officers monitor compliance with the licence conditions during every inspection,” Mr Sheehy said.
“Our officers can knock on the door of any operator at any time and licensees should make sure their facilities are always kept at the required standard.
“As the state’s environmental regulator an important part of our role is to be proactive and make sure licensees do not let standards slip.
“EPA licence conditions are set to protect the health of the community and the environment and we make no apologies for holding operators to the required standards.
“We expect all facilities to be run properly and have care for the environment and the community at the heart of every action.”
Sydney facilities inspected include sites at Eastern Creek, Orchard Hills, Alexandria, Artarmon, Auburn, Greenacre, Revesby and Mortdale. Outside Sydney a site in Kembla Grange and another at Tomago were also assessed.
The EPA is now reviewing the outcomes of the inspections. This process is expected to take several weeks.
In 2019 two subsidiary companies of Bingo Industries Limited were successfully prosecuted by the EPA for exceeding their licensed waste limits at facilities in Mortdale and Minto. The Land and Environment Court convicted the subsidiary companies, imposed combined penalties of $120,000 and made other orders requiring the defendants to publish details of their convictions and pay the EPA’s legal costs.
The EPA can use formal warnings, official cautions, licence conditions, notices and directions, prosecutions and penalty notices where non-compliances are detected.
