A magistrate has handed down a $10,000 fine for the dumping of industrial waste at a site in Nar Nar Goon - Longwarry Rd, Garfield.

Peter Ellis, of Pakenham, pleaded guilty in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to three separate charges - permitting industrial waste to be dumped at a premises that was not licensed to accept it, depositing waste without a licence, and contravening a Clean Up Notice.

He was fined $10,000 with conviction, and in addition, $5000 in costs were awarded to EPA.

Ellis was the sole director of asbestos removal company Impact Demolition and Asbestos Removal Pty Ltd (deregistered in 2017).

An EPA inspection of the site involving the use of drone technology identified about 30 cubic metres of asbestos waste and about 1000 cubic metres of mixed industrial waste on site, which was free of industrial waste prior to Ellis taking occupation of it.

In December 2020, EPA served a Clean Up Notice on Ellis, but he failed to comply.

Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution