AU By the Numbers – Discharge Leads to Fine
An EPA Victoria investigation of concrete discharges has resulted in a Ballarat company being fined.
EPA Geelong manager Gavan Mathieson said EPA officers responded to community reports of an offsite discharge from Eureka Concrete (Holdings) Pty Ltd in December last year.
“When officers visited the site on December 18, they found a discharge flowing along a gutter for nearly 150 metres, before it entered a tributary of Winters Creek.
“The company and employees were directed to immediately stop the discharge, however when EPA officers returned to the site later that day they found the discharge still happening.
Mr Mathieson said it appeared the company’s washwater system had become full and was overflowing into the stormwater system. Following the Christmas break EPA returned to the site and found some positive improvements had been made.
“Eureka has been fined $5671 and required to undertake an environmental audit of the site, which will also ensure appropriate clean up.”
Eureka General Manager, Troy Beaston said “Eureka Concrete accepts full responsibility for the off-site discharges and the penalty handed down by the EPA.
“We acknowledge that we had a breakdown in our environmental management systems. Through the findings of the environmental audit, we have identified and will implement process and system changes to ensure this situation does not occur again.
“Eureka Concrete takes its environmental and community responsibilities very seriously and we are doing everything possible to ensure we can the best possible environmental outcomes.”
The company has 28 days to pay the fine, seek an internal review or have the matter dealt with in court.
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