Swan Hill businesses on EPA alert

Swan Hill businesses are on notice with EPA Victoria announcing a two day blitz of industrial estates in the area.

Officers from EPA’s North West Regional office will conduct snap inspections on the 25 and 26 June looking at how businesses are managing the waste created by their operations.

“Most business operators understand that under the Environment Protection Act, they have a duty to act to protect the environment and that means preventing waste escaping and doing damage,” said North West Regional Manager Paul Ratajczyk.

“Frequently we find businesses thinking they’ve done enough but they’ve missed a step. Simple things like using the EPA Waste Tracker system or having effective measures in place to stop leaking industrial fluids escaping to stormwater drains.

“We like to give a bit of notice we’re coming so they can double check. Where possible we will provide advice on how to fix an issue then return to ensure that advice has been acted on.

“However, if it’s serious or deliberate we can take more drastic action including the use of financial penalties.”

Businesses can visit our Meeting your obligations (epa.vic.gov.au/meeting-your-obligations) webpage or contact us for help in understanding and meeting their responsibilities.

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