BY ISABEL EVERETT
Delta Electricity, has been fined $30,000 for breaching their license, and allegedly spreading contaminated material, including asbestos, on site at the Vales Point Power Station, in Lake Macquarie.
The Vales Point Power Station is owned and operated by Sunset Power International and trades as Delta Electricity.
The EPA has
issued Delta with two Penalty Notices for allegedly causing land pollution and
unlawfully using the premises as a waste facility.
The company has been progressively rehabilitating various ponds of the Vales Point Power
Station ash dam, using a contractor to import excavated natural material to
carry out the works.
Delta reportedly advised the EPA in
September 2018 that material classified as general solid
waste had been accepted on the site.
“The
premises received waste that it was not licenced to accept, which resulted in
contaminated fill being imported and spread on site," said EPA Director Regulatory Operations Adam Gilligan.
Mr Gilligan
said the EPA has issued Delta with a clean-up notice requiring works to make
the site safe, and to assess and quantify the waste.
“The EPA
has issued Delta a clean-up notice to remove various surface stockpiles of
asbestos waste and we are continuing to liaise with them regarding options for
dealing with the remainder of the waste in the long term."
“Fortunately,
on this occasion the waste was in an area that posed little risk to the
community.”
Since this
occurred Delta has made a number of improvements to their systems and
procedures regarding accepting waste.
“It is
important to be aware of the risks involved when accepting dirt and other
materials like this. If the correct procedures are not in place - it can lead
to large fines and damage to the environment,” Mr Gilligan said.
Image: Newcastle Herald
