A Wollert resident has been charged over the illegal dumping of industrial waste at a rural property in the suburb.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) charged Mohamed Sadek with accepting industrial waste, including soil contaminated with asbestos, at a place that is not authorised to receive industrial waste
He will face Heidelberg Magistrates Court in April, where the EPA will allege he allowed truck drivers to park and to dispose of industrial waste at the rural property.
The EPA will allege that waste was deposited at the property during an extended period, starting from 2018 until September 2021 when EPA officers inspected the property for the first time in response to pollution reports alleging the unlawful deposit of industrial waste.
The EPA said its officers conducted inspections and identified more than 7000 tonnes of industrial waste spread across approximately 7000 square metres of the property, requiring Whittlesea council to remove more than 200 truck and trailers loads.
Lab testing showed the soil contained asbestos material.
The EPA issued Sadek an environmental action notice (EAN) requiring him to immediately cease accepting industrial waste at the premises, engage a certified environmental practitioner to classify the industrial waste, and remove all industrial waste.
The EPA said it issued further EANs requiring the investigation, classification and removal of the industrial waste from the property. However, Sadek failed to comply with the EAN that required the development of a clean-up plan to remove the industrial waste.
Council, as the legal owners of the land, are undertaking the clean-up works which are nearly complete.
