Primo Foods agrees to clean-up order after suspected Cooks River pollution incident

The company that prides itself on selling Australia’s favourite bacon and hams has been issued an environmental clean up order over a suspected pollution incident impacting the quality of a Sydney river.

The incident was investigated by the NSW Environment Protection Authority

The company that prides itself on selling Australia’s favourite bacon and hams has been issued an environmental clean up order over a suspected pollution incident impacting the quality of the Cooks River.

Primo Foods has agreed to a clean-up notice by the NSW Environment Protection Authority after dead eels and “odour” were reported by members of the public in the Cooks River, near Strathfield Golf Club.

The incident at the Primo Factory in Chullora in November involved a pipe between an onsite trade waste pit and wastewater system becoming blocked, sending trade waste flowing into an on-site stormwater system and into the Cooks River.

According to the EPA, representatives from Primo Foods explained the pipe between a trade waste pit and the wastewater treatment plant became blocked “sometime on or before November 9”.

The incident had prompted workers at the factory to place several booms in the Cooks River to limit potential pollution impacts.

A photo of the Primo Foods factory in Chullora.

The company also took water samples from the Cooks River but according to the EPA did not refrigerate the samples or have them analysed.

An EPA investigation of the incident involved inspections of the Cooks River where sections of the river were observed to be covered with a “white brown bubbly scum”. Other sections were also covered in a “slightly odorous” white and brown fatty scum.

Primo Foods has agreed to the clean-up order.

The clean-up notice requires Primo Foods to clean-up any pollution detected between the Primo factory and Strathfield including dead fish, dead eels and dead aquatic life.

The company must also ensure all control measures are taken to prevent pollution of waters from the factory and to fix deficiencies in the site’s stormwater system.

In a statement, Primo Foods said it had complied with the order.

“On November 9, Primo Foods notified the EPA of a potential release of trade waste to its on-site stormwater system which had the potential to impact the Cooks River due to a blocked drain at its Chullora premises,” a spokeswoman said.

A photo of the Cooks River.

“Primo Foods has complied with its obligations under the clean up notice.”

Andrew Thomas, the executive officer at the Cooks River Alliance – a partnership of four councils working to restore the health of the waterway – said he was aware of the incident but had not been provided details from the EPA.

Mr Thomas said there was ongoing work to restore the health of the river which is recognised as one of the most polluted water courses in the country.

“The Cooks River is the most urbanised river in Australia and it’s been subject to 100 odd years of industrialisation which is starting to back off now,” he said. “It’s a tough gig trying to fix a river but it is certainly doable, it just takes time.

“That’s why it’s important when pollution incidents do occur they are followed up and reported to the alliance because we do need to understand why and how they are occurring.”