Cranbourne tip smell: EPA finally takes action after months of community outcry
The end of a long battle over a foul stench could be a step closer for the Cranbourne community, with a landfill operator served with a prohibition notice.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
The EPA has slapped a company in Melbourne’s southeast with a prohibition notice, following months of community outcry over a foul smell.
The EPA on Wednesday issued operator SBI Inert Landfill an order to stop accepting waste until the odour emanating from the site was dealt with.
Alongside the demand to end community suffering due to the smell, the EPA is also requiring SBI to appoint an environmental manager to specifically address the issue going forward, EPA chief executive Lee Miezis said.
“The prohibition on receiving waste follows an early morning inspection undertaken by EPA officers on Monday and means SBI is required to put its sole focus on dealing with the impacts on the community,”
“There has been intense activity at the SBI site under EPA’s direction but the community continues to be affected by odour. The prohibition notice is an escalation in EPA’s regulation of site and we will take further action as appropriate.”
The notice comes after months of community backlash over the smell.
Residents in Cranbourne have been reporting negative health issues, including severe headaches and migraines, itchy eyes and runny noses, and nausea alongside loss of appetite.
SBI said it “(was) working as quickly as possible to address the issue,” indicating that a flare could be the solution to the ongoing problem.
SBI group director Simon Williamson said: “The framework for the landfill gas extraction system has now been installed to address the current odour issue,”
“Samples of the gas captured by the system are being analysed, however preliminary results indicate that a flare is likely to be the most appropriate treatment option to eliminate odorous gas captured by the system before it enters the atmosphere,” he said.
“SBI is progressing to gain all necessary approvals for the use of the flare. Reserve options are also being investigated as a contingency.”
In addition to the prohibition notice, the EPA is advising the landfill operators to resolve the smell issue by August 25, inclusive of all gas well installations to capture and reduce the odours, to create a hot spot monitoring plan, demanding the removal of all stockpiled waste at the site, and a notice for appropriate liquid waste management — a notice that has already been complied with.
If SBI do not comply with these requirements, they are at risk of fines up to $396,000 and licence suspension or cancelling.
gemma.scerri@news.com.au
