The Environmental Protection Authority will no longer hold regular meetings with residents in regards to the Kealba landfill.
The EPA has held regular meetings with residents to keep them updated in regards to Barro Group’s attempts to put out underground fires that have been burning for more than four years.
In its the EPA’s latest release to residents, western metropolitan region regional manager Steve Lansdell said they had been talking with community members about the meetings, The EPA has been limited in what it can say with legal action against Barro Group in progress.
“We spoke with key community leaders recently, and residents at our last session,” he said. “We will now hold community sessions when we have new information to share. We will continue to give you email updates monthly to keep you informed. We will also check in when to schedule the next community information session.”
The update said the EPA had inspected the site three times in January during drilling work and didn’t smell any odour during those visits.
“Barro Group continue to install gas bores around the landfill hotspot,” Mr Lansdell said. “The bores will track any changes in the hotspot. Information from the bores will help them finish their hotspot remediation design.”
Meanwhile, the Barro Group posted on its Sunshine Landfill Facebook page on February 27 for the first time in more than two years.
“As you may have seen from recent community updates from the EPA, Barro is currently installing more bore holes at the site for the purpose of undertaking gas and temperature monitoring at the site,” it said.
“The monitoring is required to implement the remediation strategy for the last remaining hotspot at the landfill.
“The current remediation strategy is focused on oxygen suppression (rather than excavating the hotspot, as has been previously undertaken). There is a low risk that odour will be emitted beyond the boundary of the site from the activities currently being undertaken on the site.”
