Gerald Lynch, with AAP
Western suburbs residents have questioned the management and storage of toxic chemicals in area, following a significant blaze at a Derrimut factory last Wednesday which blanketed parts of the west in thick smoke.
The inferno was sparked by an explosion at ACB Group’s chemical blending factory on Swann Drive about 11.20am on July 10. There were reports that the explosion sent chemical drums flying into the air.
More than 180 firefighters battled the blaze, which was controlled about 3.30pm. On Thursday, Fire Rescue Victoria said the fire was expected to burn for days.
It has been confirmed that the blaze was at the same factory where a worker died and two were injured in a fire last year, which was also sparked by an explosion.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued the site with two notices and inspected it nine times since that first explosion and found it to be compliant.
The EPA’s Steve Lansdell told ABC Radio Melbourne the environmental watchdog would work with WorkSafe and other regulators, given there are are still investigations into the 2023 incident.
Western suburbs resident and Victorian Socialists spokeswoman Catherine Robinson said she was sick of seeing these issues in the western suburbs.
“For too long the west has been a haven for toxic corporations, with no regard for the health and lives of those living here. Workers in our suburbs deserve safe workplaces, residents deserve liveable communities. This is a clear systemic failure,” she said.
Western Metropolitan MPs Moira Deeming and David Ettershank questioned the management and storage of toxic chemicals in Melbourne’s west.
“The west is traditionally a dumping ground for noxious storage and industries and I don’t believe there is enough regard for the safety of residents in this setting,” Mr Ettershank said.
The Anti-Toxic Waste Alliance was formed after a similar factory fire in nearby West Footscray in 2018 and several other blazes at recycling plants in the same region.
It’s spokesperson and former Greens MP Colleen Hartland said it was concerning and the repeated emergencies lessen the community’s faith in the regulators.
“If the regulators are going in, why is it that this still happened?”
“What is it about these kind of places that you know, even after the death of a worker, they go on to a year later to have another massive fire?”
Premier Jacinta Allan said agencies had enough powers to investigate the lead up to and fallout from the “deeply dangerous” fire.
“We have in recent years strengthened the powers particularly of the EPA – their investigative powers, their regulatory powers – and this will be thoroughly investigated by those agencies,” she said.
On Thursday, FRV community safety deputy commissioner Joshua Fischer said the exact cause of the fire was unknown.
He said were a number of chemicals and dangerous goods on site that were consumed in the fire but the exact quantity was also unknown.
“It is going to take some time to ascertain the exact cause and we also need to gain access to the scene which is an active fire area with lots of contaminants and structural integrity issues of the remaining building.
“This is challenging and dynamic environment. For FRV this is our first seventh alarm, so this is a significant incident.”
Mr Fischer’s comments came as business in and around Swann Drive were able to return to their premises on a case-by-case basis on Thursday.
The EPA urged locals to avoid coming into contact with water from Cherry Creek, Anderson’s Swamp and Kayes Drain after firewater entered the waterways.
