An Epping recycling company has been fined more than $8000 by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
Suez Recycling and Recovery was fined by the EPA for failing to comply with its licence following a fire in a stockpile of organic material at its site in February.
The EPA said a drone survey of the company’s Cooper Street premises later found that stockpiles of combustible material exceeded the dimensions required by fire prevention policies.
The stockpiles had the potential to not only increase the impacts of a fire, but also to reduce the ability of emergency services to extinguish it, the EPA said.
EPA northern metropolitan manager Jeremy Settle said the EPA has “zero tolerance” for non-compliance with fire prevention policies.
“In response to the incident, EPA served a notice that required the company to bring the storage of the combustible material into compliance with requirements set out in their management document and fire prevention policies,” Mr Settle said.
“That notice has since been complied with.
“Industry must take steps to minimise the risk of fire occurring at their sites, and also have a plan in place to respond in the event that a fire does happen.”
Suez was issued an $8261 fine, which the EPA said was challenged through the internal review process, but upheld.
Suez has now paid the fine in full.
