Tara Murray
The Barro Group has until the end of July to extinguish fire hot spots at the Kealba Landfill site.
Fires have been burning underground at the site for more than 18 months, with numerous residents complaining about smells and odours coming for the site.
Late last month the Environmental Protection Authority issued a clean up notice, which requires hotspots in two of the three landfill sites to be extinguished by May 31. The last cell needs to be extinguished by July 31.
The EPA said the notice requires the company to find expert advice on how their remediation strategy can be revised to finish the job sooner.
It also requires the company to provide weekly updates to the community, including forecasts of odour conditions.
On its website, the Barro Group had indicated that the time frame to complete the remediation works was by the end of September.
The group has been in discussions with the EPA about extending their opening hours to increase the rate of work.
In a statement last week, the EPA acknowledged that there had been a recent increase in odour from the site, which is due to clean-up works underway in sections of the landfill that contain older waste.
“Air monitoring by the EPA and the landfill operator, Barro Group Pty Ltd, has found no issues of concern with respect to human health to date,” the statement said.
“This monitoring will continue until the clean-up of the site is completed. Technical specialists are onsite, continuing to oversee the remediation works.
“EPA understands the concerns of the Kealba community and we are working hard to ensure the operators clean-up the Kealba Landfill site as quickly as possible, and that it is also done safely.”
