The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a Clean-up Notice to Par Recycling Pty Ltd, a waste storage and sorting facility for yellow bin recyclables based at Somersby, after a large fire started at the premises on June 27.
EPA manager regional waste compliance Mr Rob Hogan said the Clean-up Notice was issued to the company to undertake clean up actions to minimise any environmental impact following the fire. “The EPA inspected the premises on June 29 after receiving advice about the fire from Fire and Rescue NSW and found that water used to extinguish the fire had entered Piles Creek.
“Contractors were used to pump the fire water out of the creek, and measures were taken to ensure no further fire water entered the creek. “The EPA has taken samples of the water to assess any potential impact on Piles Creek, however, the waste water was pumped out of the creek and flushing of the creek also occurred on Tuesday, July 1.
“The Clean-up Notice requires a number of actions to be taken which deal with both making the site safe for the immediate environment, and the prompt removal of waste to prevent any ongoing impact to both the environment and the wider community. “The notice requires that any residual captured waste water is removed, and all burnt waste is taken to a licensed landfill.
“Par Recycling must confirm to the EPA that all actions required by the clean-up notice have been completed. “The EPA’s priority has been to ensure that potential damage to the environment has been minimised and any ongoing risk managed through prompt action.”
Media release,
7 Jul 2014
NSW EPA