Michaela Meade
The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has laid 24 additional charges over a 2020 fire and alleged e-waste stockpiling breaches at a Campbellfield recycling company.
Two directors of MRI (Aust) Pty Ltd are each facing 12 charges. The EPA charged the company with the same 12 charges in May, 2021.
The charges allege that they caused pollution of the atmosphere and the waters of Merlynston Creek and Foden Reserve as a result of a fire at MRI’s Sydney Road site on Sunday, August 9, 2020.
The charges also allege that the company contravened certain conditions of their licence relating to the storage of e-waste at its premises.
It is also alleged that between December, 2019, and August, 2020, they contravened a condition of the licence which placed limits on the quantity of e-waste stored at the premises, and also contravened the requirement of an EPA notice that the business cease accepting e-waste until it reduced the amount of such waste stored at its premises.
The maximum penalty for all charges combined is over $842,000, according to the EPA.
Details about the state government’s waste management policy: www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/find-a-topic/manage-industrial-waste/crwm#crwm-guideline
