Rutherford waste oil processing company Truegain has been fined $22,500 for failing to correctly store liquid waste that leaked into a stormwater canal and a creek on the industrial estate in 2010.
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For breaching its licence, Truegain was also ordered on Friday to pay a proportion of the Environment Protection Authority’s prosecution costs in the NSW Land and Environment Court.
The conviction relates to Truegain failing to store liquid waste in a competent manner, which resulted in pollution to a stormwater canal and local creek adjacent to the Truegain site in the Rutherford Industrial Estate.
The EPA Hunter Region manager Adam Gilligan said licensees cannot breach the operating conditions of their environment protection licences and expect to get away with it.
“The EPA is committed to ensuring that licensees operate in an environmentally responsible manner,” Mr Gilligan said.
“In this case, Truegain did not have sufficient controls in place to prevent or alert staff to the leaks from a tank on site that overflowed to the adjacent creek.
“This includes no effective warning or alarm system, insufficient pumps installed in the tank, and inadequate controls in place for the event the tank overflowed.
"This prosecution should send a message to industries that the EPA will vigorously pursue those who fail to comply with environmental legislation.”
Truegain was also ordered to publicise the details of the offence in three local newspapers.
REACTION TO FINE:
- “Industries need to understand – and I think they do in Rutherford – that they must work within the requirements of their licences.” – Maitland MP Robyn Parker.
- “I have faith in the judicial system and the true winner in all this is the community. I do not regard the $22,500 fine on Truegain as a slap on the wrist – the company is facing signicant court costs. This prosecution shows industries that if they don’t do the right thing, they will be prosecuted.” – Rutherford Air Quality Liaison Committee chairman Stephen Francis.
- “My personal view is that the fine of $22,500 seemed inadequate. The community’s health and the environment must be protected. The factories are here and people need their jobs. We all have to work together to address the problems that arise.” – Committee member Ramona Cocco.
- “The first thing that came into my mind was that the $22,500 fine was a joke. Why would companies change the way they operate if they get a slap on the wrist for any breaches? Hopefully the EPA will make Truegain rectify all these problems.” – Committee member Steve Jordan.