Big fire, big fine – recycler found guilty

A metals recycling business, Pacific Metals Group has been fined $45,000 and costs, following a major fire at its Laverton North premises in January 2024.

The company plead guilty to a charge of breaching its General Environmental Duty and was found guilty in the Wyndham Magistrates' Court in late March.

The fire broke out in an excavator parked within a large waste pile that measured more than 30 metres wide, 50 metres long and 5 metres high. The blaze spread quickly and burned for two days.

Before the fire, the company had used the site for receiving, sorting and recovering waste metals for recycling.

EPA Victoria officers were on scene during the fire advising firefighters on environmental issues including smoke and firewater runoff.

EPA investigators found the remains of waste including shredded metal, tyres, plastic, foam, wood, wiring, rubber, paper, cardboard, cloth, carpet, soil, timber, batteries, e-waste, whitegoods, gas cannisters, timber and other materials with combustible contaminants.

The day after the fire was extinguished, EPA issued a Prohibition Notice banning the company from accepting waste until they had reconfigured stockpiles to minimise the risk of harm to human health and the environment.

An Environmental Action Notice was also issued requiring the company to deal with the burnt waste, stop any further wastewater entering the environment, and bring the location to a safe and manageable standard.

The company complied with both notices, removed the stockpiles, and handed back the site to the landlord. MST1 Pty Ltd was placed into voluntary administration on 15 January 2024 and went into liquidation on 29 April 2024.

Magistrate McGarvie imposed a conviction, a $45,000 fine and $15,574.05 in court costs to be paid to EPA.