EPA serves Amcor with a notice following Yarra River oil leak

The Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has served Amcor Packaging with a Notice following an incident of industrial waste discharge into the Yarra River believed to be from the company’s Alphington paper-manufacturing plant.

On 13 June, the EPA responded to community reports of oil leaking from a stormwater drain into the Yarra River near the Alphington plant and found that the company had tried to absorb an oily water leak from a bund in the turbine room using absorbent padding.

The EPA’s sampling confirmed that the discharge contained oil. It said the environmental risks posed by the leak were “highly visible and preventable”.

The EPA-issued Notice stipulates that Amcor must install waste controls to prevent spills to stormwater drains by 3 August and must investigate the cause of the spill by 10 August.

The EPA’s Acting CEO Matt Vincent said major industrial sites are required to manage waste and be aware of potential environmental risks and impacts on local communities posed by industrial waste.

“EPA has made it clear to Amcor that they will be held to account for the ongoing pollution and environmental issues surrounding their Alphington plant,” Vincent said.

The Alphington facility is due to close upon the successful commissioning of Amcor’s new plant at Botany. This is expected to occur by September at the latest. After December 2012, Amcor’s Alphington plant will not be licenced by the EPA, Vincent said.

“We are determined that in these closing stages of the company’s operations on that site, they remain vigilant in addressing and managing their risk to the environment,” said Vincent.

If a company contravenes a Pollution Abatement Notice, it can be fined up to $300,000. Fines of up to $150,000 per day can be ordered if the offence continues.