An independent auditor has confirmed there were “administrative errors” in a Bulla tip’s licence to dispose of asbestos.
In late August, the Environment Protection Authority commissioned auditing firm Ernst & Young to assess its licensing processes at every landfill tip in the state, after it discovered oversights in the licence it had awarded the Bulla Tip and Quarry (BTQ) on Sunbury Road.
The administrative error that allowed asbestos to be dumped without proper approval was discovered at an EPA inspection to check whether tip operator Bulla Quarry Developments was complying with its licensing obligations.
EPA chief executive Nial Finegan said the audit discovered similar irregularities at a tip in Stawell. He said neither of the errors, at Stawell or Bulla, posed a risk to human health or the environment.
“We recognised there was something amiss at Bulla and wanted to make sure it was only an administrative slip-up,” Mr Finegan said.
“They’ve confirmed there was an issue with the BTQ licence and at Stawell, and the record-keeping wasn’t too good at another two sites.
“But the audit confirmed that there were no adverse environmental impacts because of these oversights.”
The Bulla licence has since been updated and Hume council’s director of city sustainability, Kelvin Walsh, said he was pleased the EPA had issued tighter conditions to the tip operators.
“We expect the authority will closely monitor the site,” Mr Walsh said.
In July, the state’s planning tribunal extended the tip’s lifetime to 2023, despite opposition from residents and the council.
