Dallas residents and businesses have launched a class action against the operators of a Coolaroo recycling plant at the centre of a toxic blaze.
The lawsuit, alleging that the operators of SKM Recycling acted negligently, was filed in the Supreme Court last Friday by Maddens Lawyers.
It is seeking compensation for residents and businesses for damages and injury.
The Maffra Street plant caught fire on July 13. The blaze shrouded parts of the northern suburbs in acrid smoke and forced Dallas residents out of their homes.
Five people, including a four-year-old girl, were taken to hospital with smoke-induced conditions, while another eight were treated at a community relief centre.
Fire crews took two days to bring the fire under control, with firefighters brought in from interstate to help.
Madden Lawyers principal Brendan Pendergast said anyone impacted by the fire was automatically included in the class action.
More than 100 people attended a public meeting at the Coolaroo Hotel last Thursday to discuss how the class action would work.
Mr Pendergast said a number of people raised concerns about the impact of the fire on their health, with many reporting ongoing respiratory problems.
“Residents are angry because since February this year, this is the third such incident,” Mr Pendergast said.
“They can’t take this anymore. It can’t be repeated. It’s just unacceptable.”
In a statement, SKM business manager Robert Italiano said the company was working with authorities to minimise further impact.
He said the fire had brought to a head a much bigger infrastructure issue.
“Rubbish bins are now smaller and we seem to be one of only a few investing in the necessary infrastructure,” Mr Italiano said.
“But of course, the huge volumes of residential recyclables keep on coming and it’s illegal to dump it as waste, so temporary storage is the only answer.”
The plant operated under a permit issued by Hume council and was due to be inspected by council officers, Environment Protection Agency Victoria and the MFB on the morning of the fire to assess fire risks.
