EPA Victoria has fined the operator of a Keilor quarry $9,616 after finding industrial wastewater flowing down a hillside towards Arundel Creek and the Maribyrnong River.
The property on Annadale Rd, Keilor, is also the subject of EPA regulatory notices ordering the occupier, Disposabin Pty Ltd, to introduce planned dust management measures and implement controls to prevent the discharging of wastewater or stormwater containing waste from the premises.
An EPA officer inspected the site on 26 January in response to a report from a member of the public and found liquid discharging down an embankment towards the creek, near Annandale Road.
The water was being pumped out of a dam on the premises and onto the hillside. The EPA officer took wastewater samples which contained elevated levels of copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc.
EPA Northern Metropolitan Regional Manager Chloe Bernett says wastewater is not just water.
"The quarry is used for the extraction of clay, shale, sand and gravel, and the wastewater from the drilling process contains mud and minerals including a variety of metals at higher than normal levels," Ms Bernett said.
"It is not only industrial waste under the law, but also a hazard to the natural environment and people's health and should not be allowed to flow into a creek or river," she said.
EPA is working with the Earth Resources Regulator (ERR) and Hume City Council to ensure the premises is made compliant and the environment is protected. The EPA fine is for the unlawful deposit of waste of more than 1000 litres.
Business operators can find EPA's advice on urban stormwater management at epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/publications/1739-1 and liquid storage and handling guidelines at epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/publications/1698
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
