Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is conducting a statewide inspection blitz on industrial precincts that have the potential to impact local waterways that flow through our communities because they are directly connected through the stormwater drain system.
Businesses in the north and west of Melbourne, Gippsland, the north east and north west of the state have either already been inspected or are about to see snap inspections. Other regions will hold the unannounced inspections in the coming weeks.
The aim of the blitz, which by mid-August had seen 136 businesses inspected is to highlight the role businesses are expected to play in protecting the environment and in particular local waterways like Kororoit Creek and Cherry Creek in Melbourne’s west, Darebin Creek in the west, Loy Yang Creek in Gippsland, Jack in the Box Creek in Wodonga and Bendigo Creek. Many of the businesses seen so far have not fully understood that responsibility and have been given advice or notified officially of what action they need to take.
EPA officers have issued 16 notices giving businesses a deadline to reach compliance by:
• 9 notices issued for failure to prevent risk from storage and handling of liquid chemicals or waste
• 4 notices issued for failure to contain wash waters
• 2 notices for failure to prevent sediment run off into stormwater
• 1 notice for pollution event from liquid waste
Whilst on site, EPA officers also issued 181 compliance advisories including:
• 48 advisories about lack of or inadequate storage and handling of chemicals / waste (inclusive of secondary containment controls).
• 16 advisories about properly understanding their waste tracker duties
• 15 advisories about containing wash water or waste water
• 15 advisories about having adequate spill containment kits
• 6 advisories about stopping litter impacting stormwater drains.
“Under the General Environmental Duties provision of the Environment Protection Act 2017, everyone has a role in preventing pollution, but some businesses are doing that better than others,” said EPA CEO Lee Miezis.
“EPA wants to help businesses to understand that they must act to improve their pollution management, and that they can expect us to use our powers to enforce compliance.
“Some of the major issues identified throughout the inspections centred around poor controls to ensure materials stored at sites don’t create pollution that then enters stormwater drains ending up in freshwater environments.
“We’ve also been active providing fire management advice. Fires often lead to collateral damage to nearby waterways when the fire water used to combat a blaze, runs off getting into storm drains.
“The waterways that storm drains feed into are a vital amenity for our communities and must be protected by everyone, including industry.”
An information video explaining the General Environmental Duty and what businesses are expected to do to be compliant with it, is available at https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/get-involved/past-events/the-role-of-industry-and-business-in-protecting-the-environment
Information is also available at the following links Manufacturing, Construction, Retail, Agriculture, Mining and quarrying, Waste and recycling, and Local government as a duty holder
