The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Central Waste Plant Pty Ltd $15,000 for an alleged breach of its environment protection licence by processing more waste than permitted.
Central Waste Plant holds a licence for its premises at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter to receive and process a maximum of 35,000 tonnes of waste per year.
The plant allegedly breached its licence by receiving and processing approximately 68,000 tonnes of waste between March 2018 and 2019.
EPA Manager Regional Waste Compliance Cate Woods said the waste disposal plant had received a caution for an alleged breach for the same issue the previous year.
“This is the second time in two years that the EPA alleges that Central Waste Plant failed to comply with their environment protection licence by receiving more waste than permitted,” Ms Woods said.
“We hope this fine reminds all waste and recycling facilities of the importance of abiding by the conditions of the environment protection licences.
“Licence limits are in place to reflect the potential impacts that a licensee may have on their neighbours and surrounding community. We expect all licensees to follow the requirements in their specific licenses and breaches are taken seriously by the EPA. Ignoring those limits and operating without consideration of those impacts is not an acceptable practice.”
Penalty notices are one of several tools the EPA can use to achieve environmental compliance including formal warnings, official cautions, license conditions, notices and directions and prosecutions.
/Public Release.
