A Dandenong South company’s decision to dump industrial waste at a disused quarry in Gippsland has cost it $40,000, an expensive clean-up and some bad publicity.
EPA Victoria charged Renex Op Co Pty Ltd with disposing of industrial waste at a premises that was not licensed to accept it, after the company trucked almost 3,000 tonnes of waste to the quarry on Harveys Rd, Woodside North.
EPA testing later showed the waste, which looked like black soil, contained pieces of plastic, wood, ceramic, concrete and rebar. Scientific analysis found levels of chemicals including PFAS that were too high for it to be reused as soil.
The waste was from the company’s facility on Ordish Rd, Dandenong South, where it receives and stores contaminated soil, then thermally treats it for disposal. Its EPA licence allows Renex to process the waste, provided it is taken to a landfill that is licensed and properly equipped to accept it.
The Sale Magistrates’ Court did not record a conviction but ordered the company to pay $20,000 to EPA Victoria for legal costs and another $20,000 to the court fund, which supports charity and community projects.
The company was also ordered to place a newspaper advertisement, giving details of the offence and the penalty. Renex Op Co Pty Ltd gave an undertaking to be of good behaviour for two years.
The investigation began after members of the public saw large numbers of trucks attending the quarry between 24 and 30 June 2021 and were concerned about the material being transported. They called EPA.
Inspecting the site, EPA investigators found a 60m-by-60m stockpile and took samples and photographs, before using a drone with ground penetrating radar to measure the depth of the waste.
They later found that an earthmoving contractor working on the site was sufficiently concerned about the material that he built a wall around it to stop any rainwater runoff.
EPA ordered the company to remove the material to a properly licensed facility for disposal, the company complied, and scientific testing confirmed there was no contamination left after the clean-up.
Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution
