Specialist contractors are on-site cleaning up toxic waste dumped on public land that Moorabool council was ordered to remove.
As reported by Star Weekly, an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) clean-up notice was issued to council requiring it to remove about 1000 to 1250 dissolved acetylene cylinders on pallets in two trailers parked on the nature strip of 210 Lerderderg Park Road, Merrimu.
The council estimated the clean-up costs to be about $500,000 – or $25 per ratepayer.
Council requested a stay on this order at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing in early July.
Council told VCAT it was not the source of the illegally dumped waste or responsible for it or its storage, and the EPA should take responsibility for the clean-up.
Council said the EPA had the property the trailers originated from under surveillance for at least a year and had failed to act until the trailers turned up on council-managed land.
The tribunal refused the request on Wednesday, July 16, ruling that it was in community interest to address the matter urgently.
On Thursday, council said the cylinders are being removed from the trailers and inspected before being repacked into new truck trailers for safe transport to the sole facility in Victoria which can dispose of them correctly, located in Stawell.
“While the EPA watched, Moorabool Shire stepped up to protect our community and clean up a mess we didn’t make,” mayor Paul Tatchell, said.
An EPA spokesperson told Star Weekly the organisation was aware of waste stored on trailers at an address in Merrimu and had regulated the party alleged to be in control of that waste, as it is required to.
“Clearly, the waste should not have been moved to council land. Investigations as to who moved it are ongoing, and because of those investigations, as well as live legal activity, we are unable to comment further,” the spokesperson said.
Star Weekly understands that the matter is continuing at VCAT and the EPA’s investigation into the illegal dumping is ongoing.
