A man has been fined $13,500 for causing environmental harm by pouring chemicals into a gutter.
Robert James Wakefield pleaded guilty to one count of causing material environmental harm on 29 November 2022 after he was observed emptying drums of liquid into the gutter on a street at Fullarton.
The EPA prosecuted Mr Wakefield after its sampling determined the liquid had entered a stormwater drain and contained elevated levels of volatile hydrocarbons consistent with paint thinner or similar solvents.
In sentencing in the Environment, Resources and Development Court, Judge Alexandrides said nearby residents were affected by the odour and one experienced nausea for several days.
He said Mr Wakefield had accepted that he intentionally poured the contents of a number of drums into a street gutter and that the fumes posed a risk to the health of residents in the vicinity.
Judge Alexandrides fined Mr Wakefield $13,500 plus a Victims of Crime levy.
The EPA’s Director of Compliance, Circular Economy and Investigations Steven Sergi said the penalty should serve as a deterrent for anyone considering the illegal disposal of chemical waste.
He said the substance posed a significant concern to aquatic life and that residents and workers tasked with cleaning up the scene had been affected by the odour.
“Solvents are a Class 1 pollutant under the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2015 and must not be allowed to enter the stormwater system,” he said.
“There are free drop-off locations for household chemicals in metropolitan and regional areas so there is no excuse for placing these liquids in gutters and stormwater drains.”