Environment protection orders, clean-up orders issued in Gympie
Bad smells, contaminated run-off and chemical pollution are among a range of alleged environment complaints across the Gympie region that are being watched by the state government, and involving some of the region’s biggest businesses.
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Chemical run-off from a devastating shop fire and fuel contamination are among several alleged Environment Act complaints the state government is keeping a close eye on across the Gympie region.
Notices published online by the Department of Environment and Science show more than a dozen Environment Protection Orders, clean-up orders or direction notices have been issued in the past year over environmental concerns raised with the department.
A DES spokesman said no fines or penalties have been issued against these businesses.
Paint scrapings washed into Snapper Creek
In the most recent matter a Tin Can Bay boat repair company has been ordered to stop work amid concerns paint scrapings were being washed into nearby Snapper Creek.
The published directions notice by the DES said it had received reports from the community and Maritime Safety Queensland about the problem, which was raised on April 4.
The report says DES officers were told by the company, following an April 5 inspection that work at the Emperor St site would stop until the issue was fixed.
However on April 6 the notice says “the department obtained photographic evidence that boat repair activities... had recommenced at the premises and sufficient controls were not being implemented to prevent contaminants from being released to waters”.
The company, Hillcrest (RALL) Pty Ltd, was ordered to stop work and by April 28 have all paint scrapings and residues within a 150m radius of the premises lawfully disposed of, and then provide documentation of this to the DES.
The matter remains ongoing.
Sun-Chem fire on Tozer Park Rd
The DES is monitoring the clean-up of a chemical storage business at Tozer Park Rd which was gutted by flames in late 2022.
Sun-Chem Quality Cleaning Products was destroyed in an early morning blaze on Sunday, November 2022.
A clean-up notice published by the DES said firefighters used 1-1.5ML of water to douse the flames, much of which flowed away from the site.
Gympie Regional Council built three embankments the same day to help protect the environment from the fall out.
Water run-off with a PH of 11 which the notice says is “similar to pure ammonia” was recorded at several locations.
Chemicals released during the fire included hydrochloric acid, liquid chlorine, sulfuric acid and caustic soda.
The owners of Sun-Chem have been carrying out clean-up works at the site, with the ruined building now demolished and the ground cleared.
No fines or penalties have been issued on this matter, which remains ongoing.
Water run-off concerns at Corbets Traveston
The DES has issued an Environmental Protection Order to one of the region’s largest businesses over possible contaminated water run off from its Traveston operations.
The EPO order, issued by the DES on September 28, 2022, says concerns were initially raised in April 2021 over an uncontrolled release of water from one of the basins at the Corbet Group’s Traveston site that month.
The February 2022 floods exacerbated the problem, and tests by the DES in March 2022 finding water quality results which exceeded guidelines, including elevated ammonia levels.
The order says on June 1 2022 Corbets confirmed it had commenced investigations into fixing the basin had begun.
However as “no adequate solution had been implemented” one year after the initial warning and due to the delay, the DES considered Corbets to be contravening the EA.
No fines or penalties have been issued on this matter, which remains ongoing.
Fuel contamination Rainbow Beach
A Rainbow Beach service station has been issued a clean-up notice over contaminated soil and groundwater at the site, first recorded in 2018.
The DES has issued the notice to Fraser Island Fuels Pty Ltd, which run the Shell Service Station at Rainbow Beach Rd, amid concerns about the health risk of leaking petrol.
The notice says multiple tanks at the site failed integrity testing in 2014 and 2015, and soil and groundwater monitoring across 2015-2017 found contamination.
Subsequent reports lodged with the department have shown contamination levels at the land to be decreasing.
No fines or penalties have been issued for this matter, which remains ongoing.
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Noise, smell problems at abattoir
Odour and noise complaints about Nolan Meats in the first half of 2021 are being actively monitored by the DES, notices published on its website reveal.
The notices show the DES received complaints about the smell coming from the company’s East Deep Creek meat processing factory.
An investigation in September 2020 revealed odours from cooked meat and wastewater were escaping the boundaries of the property.
The smell continued to emanate from the factory for months, with an “escalation” in complaints in February 2021.
Noise complaints about the facility were first received in April 2020, reported as a “high pitched, droning” sound.
The noise was recorded at multiple locations outside Nolans’ premises following investigations.
Nolans Meats has been working with the department to rectify these issues, the documents show.
No penalties or fines have been issued on this matter, which is ongoing.
Two other EPO directions issued by the DES in November 2022 regarding odour complaints and compliance have been resolved.
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