EPA has laid charges against the occupier of a rural property in Wollert for accepting industrial waste, including soil contaminated with asbestos, at a place that is not authorised to receive industrial waste.
In April 2025, EPA will allege in Heidelberg Magistrates' Court that Wollert resident Mohamed Sadek allowed truck drivers to park and to dispose of industrial waste at the rural property.
EPA will allege that waste was deposited at the rural property during an extended period, starting from 2018 until September 2021 when EPA officers inspected the property for the first time in response to pollution reports alleging the unlawful deposit of industrial waste.
EPA Officers conducted inspections and took samples. Lab testing showed that the soil contained asbestos material. EPA issued Sadek an Environmental Action Notice (EAN) requiring him to immediately cease accepting industrial waste at the premises, engage a Certified Environmental Practitioner to classify the industrial waste, and remove all industrial waste.
EPA issued further EANs requiring the removal of the industrial waste from the property. However, EPA alleges Sadek failed to comply with the EAN that required the development of a clean-up plan to remove the industrial waste.
City of Whittlesea Council, as the legal owners of the land, is undertaking the clean-up works which are nearly complete. They have identified more than 7,000 tonnes of industrial waste spread across approximately 7,000 square metres of the property requiring Whittlesea Council to remove more than 200 truck and trailers loads.
Asbestos waste is a priority environmental and human health risk. EPA has a focus on it for enforcement activity.
