By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The state’s environmental watchdog has issued pollution abatement notices to two Hallam businesses for swarms of dust plaguing nearby homes and workplaces.
A soil yard owned by Folino Plant Hire and a mulch yard owned by Bark King Group have been given until 31 August to increase dust control measures and not impact on the local environment under the Environment Protection Authority Victoria notices.
If they fail to comply, the companies face fines of up to $777,300 if prosecuted in court.
During inspections of the yards, EPA officers watched dust wafting out into a neighbouring business to the north.
They noted that the Bark King site was “fully unsealed” with “all product and waste stockpiles and haul-roads located on unsealed land”.
There were no dust enclosures fitted to the site’s screen plant, and there was no water supply for sprayers aimed to minimise dust emissions at the grinding plant.
Officers observed plumes of dust escaping from a mulch conveyor-belt, and during other activities on the site.
A Bark King site representative had reportedly told them there was no written dust management plan for the premises.
At Folino, a water tanker – designed to supress dust – generated “visible dust plumes” as drove on haul roads within the premises, EPA officers observed.
They noted tall piles of mulch, soil and grass of up to 12 metres height, as well as watched dust waft out of the yard towards a northern neighbouring workplace.
EPA southern metro manager Marleen Mathias said the businesses were issued the notices after a 10 March inspection of three O’Grady Road premises.
“The PANs issued by EPA require a combination of engineering controls and the development and implementation of site Dust Management Plans,” Ms Mathias said.
“EPA will assess compliance with the PANs following the due date on 31 August 2017. If issues continue from these sites EPA may issue further statutory notices.”
The EPA was also expecting interim reports from the companies on the location of soil, compost and mulch piles, loading areas and screening and grinding plants in the yard by 31 May.
According to the notices, excessive rates of dust deposits from the yards had coated a neighbouring industrial workplace.
The highest reading of dust in nearby Bolt Court was 9.42 grams per square metre per month in January – more than double the four-gram amenity standard in NSW.
“Numerous potential sources of dust are present on your premises and likely to be a source of dust emissions,” the notices stated to Bark King Group and Folino Plant Hire.
Hampton Park residents living about 300 metres south of the yards have also long complained of dust pollution.
The residents in Rowland Close and Glenora Way report regular and severe hay-fever, skin hives, asthma attacks, coughing and sore eyes suffered by children, young and old residents alike.
Nearby workers tell of the need to hose down vehicles daily and to keep factory doors constantly closed due to the dusty emissions.
The EPA has confirmed that O’Grady Road, which is unsealed and Casey council-managed, was not the “primary contributor” of the dust.
