EPA Victoria is maintaining its oversight of the Veolia Recycling and Recovery facility in Taylors Rd, Dandenong South issuing three improvement notices.
The notices relate to the ongoing management of issues around leachate, dust and landfill gas.
“This is a very important landfill site in Victoria, and that importance must be met with ongoing improvements to deliver the best pollution controls,” EPA South Metropolitan Melbourne Regional Manager Viranga Abeywickrema said.
“We’ve directed Veolia that it must manage leachate in a way that minimises the risk of harm to human health and the environment; assess, review and take remedial action related to the generation, management and disposal of landfill gas and; mitigate and prevent dust from being discharged beyond the site boundaries from vehicle movement, material storage and other operations.”
Mr Abeywickrema said EPA would maintain contact with Veolia to ensure progress was being made but would use its regulatory powers as necessary.
“The important thing is that impacts offsite be minimised and the community and environment protected.”
Fine for attempted charity shop dump
In other news, a man’s attempt to offload a broken pool table on an Ascot Vale St Vincents de Paul Society Store has seen him land fines, charges and costs totalling $3,788.
CCTV caught the moment just before Christmas 2022 when the man and his compatriot stopped a Mitsubishi ute outside the Maribyrnong Rd shop, manhandle a broken pool table off the flat bed and leave it propped outside the Vinnies store.
The same man was also caught on CCTV dropping off broken toys and assorted small items of furniture to the same shop.
In Melbourne Magistrates Court on 14 June 2024, he was found guilty without conviction, ordered to pay $1,100 for each offence, $568 to St Vincents and legal costs of $1,000.
“EPA has become involved in this because the offender deposited waste greater than 50 litres but less than 1000 litres, contrary to the Act,” said EPA Compliance Programs Manager, Zac Dornom.
“Charity shops need support and using them as a dumping ground to get rid of your old trash is just shifting the cost away from yourself and on to someone else.
Dornom said everyone should be acting to protect the environment and not try to unload that responsibility on others.
“Disposing of waste does carry a cost, so try not to create the waste in the first place and recycle it where you can but if it must be disposed of, it has to be done legally.”
Dornom said everyone has a responsibility to protect the