By Ewen McRae
A Keilor Park concrete supplier has been fined more than $8000 following a leak at its facility last month.
The leak was discovered by Victorian Environment Protection Authority officers during an inspection of the Terror Street site operated by concrete supplier Economix.
Officers discovered a concrete slurry breaching its storage boundaries across the facility and making its way into neighbouring land.
The neighbouring land is owned by Melbourne Water and is within the Steele Creek catchment that feeds into the Maribyrnong River.
The company was fined $8060 and has been served a notice ordering a full clean-up, restoration of the polluted land to its prior condition, and installation of controls to snsure slurry and liquid waste do not leak out again.
EPA metro region manager Dan Hunt said the leak released highly alkaline concrete slurry into neighbouring land, leaving dried concrete and killing off vegetation.
“The leak had the potential to impact plants, fish and other forms of aquatic life,” Mr Hunt said.
“It’s important that concrete slurry is properly collected and disposed safely.
“If it isn’t, and makes its way into our stormwater system and waterways, it can cause environmental damage.”
