Melbourne Transport and Warehousing vows to 'rejuvenate' Cherry Lake after chemical spill

A pollution spill in Melbourne's west which saw 15 tonnes of dead fish removed from Cherry Lake is expected to take several months to remedy as the company responsible vows to work with the local community. 

Hundreds of dead fish and eels have been pulled from Cherry Lake in Altona after pollution spread into the wetlands on March 7.

More than 15 tonnes of dead fish have now been removed from Cherry Lake after a pollution incident saw approximately 12,000L of a "green bubbling"  detergent-like chemical spill into the local waterways. 

Environmental authorities say the large volume of Teric N9, a surfactant chemical, entered the wetlands from a stormwater drain in the days after a fire at a Laverton North warehousing site on March 7. 

It's understood Melbourne Transporting and Warehousing had used the chemical to put out a fire at their business address which was not responded to by emergency services. 

Teric N9 is a neural, colourless and extremely corrosive compound used in fire fighting applications with a specific warning to not “allow run-off from fire fighting to enter drains or water courses”.

In the weeks after the incident the pollutant spread in a “limited” capacity to Port Phillip Bay, with some fish deaths observed near Altona Dog Beach.

Approximately 15 tonnes of dead fish, overwhelmingly invasive carp, has been removed from the lake and the EPA concedes it is expected to take "several months" for the pollution to degrade.

Representatives from Melbourne Transport and Warehousing joined the Environmental Protection Authority at a community session on March 22 providing information about the ongoing clean up effort.

The company vowed to maintain dialogue with residents and comply with an EPA notice clean up the chemical spill. 

The EPA say an investigation into the incident is ongoing and charges stemming from any breaches to the law have not yet been ruled out. 

“We continue to investigate the pollution at Cherry Lake to determine any breaches of the Environmental Protection Act,” a statement from the EPA said.

“The source was identified pretty quickly and measures were put in place to prevent further contamination. An investigation is ongoing into this incident and any breaches of the law.” 

Since the pollution entered Cherry Lake residents have observed thousands of dead fish and eels washing ashore as contractors attempt to remove them.

“It’s just horrific, we live nearby so we’ve come down every day since we heard,” one woman said the week the spill was identified.

“I must have seen 100 fish just gasping for air near the reeds. The lake is in a very sad state.

“There’s been people here pulling the dead fish from the water but you can still see the pollution floating on top.”

Booms have been installed by Melbourne Water to minimise pollution spread at Cherry Lake.

Residents have been urged not to touch or eat aquatic life from the popular fishing spot and to keep their pet dogs away from the site until further notice.

The EPA spokesman said the regulator was not aware of any ill-effects on persons or pets, but said any contact with the pollution should be washed with clean water.

Hobsons Bay mayor Peter Hemphill said the severity of the spill was “unlike anything” the municipality had experienced in recent times.

“We know there is an enormous impact to the fish stock within the lake but the area is also popular for birdlife and the effects on the wider biodiversity is still unknown but obviously something we are deeply worried about,” he said.

He called on the responsible agencies to enforce tough penalties on the business responsible, saying; “we hope that any conviction or punishment matches the severity of what has occurred within our environment”.

The EPA is holding regular information session to answer questions from the community at the Cherry Lake public BBQ area off Millers Road in Altona.

Melbourne Water has removed approximately 3,000,000L of polluted water from Hume drain and Cherry Creek since March 17, to prevent additional pollution reaching Cherry Lake. 

According to EPA chief environmental scientist professor Mark Taylor, the pollution, which is very toxic to fish, will degrade over time as it is exposed to sunlight, oxygen and bacteria. 

Safety notices posted around Altona Dog beach now advise it is safe to swim at the location. 

To report sick or injured birds and other wildlife, Wildlife Victoria can be reached on 03 8400 7300.