Bulla tip: Hume Council shuts down asbestos dump talk
TALK of dumping up to 500 trailer loads of dangerous waste at the Bulla tip, just 40 minutes north of Melbourne, has been shut down by Hume Council.
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UP TO 500 trailer loads of hazardous waste could be dumped at a tip at Bulla, 40 minutes from Melbourne, but Hume Council has called discussion “premature”.
The proposal to dump material from the former Morwell Power Station, scheduled for demolition next month, has raised serious concerns from the Sunbury Residents Association.
The former station’s liquidators, Energy Brix Australia Corporation (EBAC), confirmed the landfill run by Hi-Quality Group was being considered.
EBAC general manager remediation Barry Dungey told the Leader the company could be forced to truck its debris to Melbourne after its original proposal for an on-site disposal cell was rejected by Latrobe Council.
Mr Dungey said while the site for the potential dump was yet to be confirmed, the Hi-Quality Bulla landfill was considered an option.
“Bulla is one of the ones we’re considering,” he said.
“We will now consider other disposal options as we move forward with our demolition scheduled to commence in November 2018.”
The tip run by the Hi-Quality group sits on the same road as the the now closed BTQ operated landfill site.
Mr Dungey said the site had been considered because it was licensed to accept asbestos by the Environmental Protection Authority Victoria.
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Hume Mayor Geoff Porter said the suggestion made “no sense”.
“These issues need to resolved, and the appropriate permits for handling, transporting and disposing of asbestos must be met,” he said.
“As such, any conjecture that the Latrobe Valley’s demolition waste is coming to a privately owned Bulla facility is premature.”
The EPA closed BTQ’s operating licence in June after years of complaints and concerns over environmental and workplace safety.
An EPA statement to the Leader said the disposal “must only be at a site licensed to accept waste asbestos”.
Hi-Quality Group divisional manager Lance Ingrams said despite talk, the facility had not been approached by anyone about accepting waste from the old power station.
“We have not received any approaches from the Victorian Government or from Energy Brix, to accept waste material from the old Morwell Power Station, whether asbestos waste or any other waste. If any request is made, then we will consider it,” he said.
He said the facility was licensed to accept asbestos waste, complying with relevant guidelines and legislation. The facility had previously been utilised to accept waste during environmental disasters, like the Black Saturday bushfires.
Sunbury-based Hume councillor Jack Medcraft said there was “no way” the asbestos would be dumped at a Bulla tip.
“There is more of a possibility of me holidaying on the moon in the next 12 months than dumping at Bulla tip,” Cr Medcraft said. “Firstly, the cost would be absolutely through the roof. Secondly, there’s no way they would be transporting a hazardous material through the city.”
The proposed Morwell on-site cell was rejected by Latrobe councillors, despite the EPA finding the application was compliant with state environmental protection policies and laws.
A demolition company would require both the EPA works approval and planning permission from the council the proceed with construction of landfills.
jessica.coates@news.com.au
JessCoates4
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