A Dandenong South soil waste company has been fined and ordered to clean up an illegal dumping of industrial waste in a disused quarry.
Renex Op Co Pty Ltd faced Sale Magistrates’ Court over trucking almost 3000 tonnes of waste to the unlicensed dumping ground in Woodside North in Gippsland.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria pressed charges after members of the public reported large numbers of trucks at the quarry between 24-30 June 2021.
Its testing found the 3600-square metre stockpile, which looked like black soil, contained plastic, wood, ceramic, concrete and rebar.
The levels of chemicals including PFAS were too high for it to be reused as soil.
An earthmoving contractor working on the site built a wall around the stockpile due to concerns of hazardous rainwater runoff.
Renex complied with an EPA order to remove the material to a properly licensed facility for disposal. There was no contamination left after the clean-up, the EPA stated.
Renex receives and thermally treats contaminated soil for disposal at its Ordish Road, Dandenong South site.
Its EPA licence allows it to process the waste provided it is disposed at a licensed landfill that’s properly equipped to accept it, the EPA stated.
At Sale Magistrates’ Court, Renex escaped conviction but was ordered to pay $20,000 legal costs to EPA and $20,000 to the court fund for charity and community projects.
It was also ordered to place a newspaper advertisement, giving details of the offence and penalty.
The firm was also put on a two-year good-behaviour bond.
