The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) announced on Tuesday that Vales Point Power Station is being investigated over two separate fish kills at Wyee Bay in a month.
An EPA spokesperson said the power station had provided new information relating to the recent fish kills.
“The EPA inspected the Vales Point Power Station facility on Tuesday and secured equipment on-site as part of our investigation,” the spokesperson said.
“Testing was also undertaken and we are conducting further enquires.
“The EPA has requested a further report from the power station and this information will form part of the EPA’s ongoing investigation.
“The EPA is treating this as a top priority and is using all available resources, including assigning specialist investigators to the issue,” the spokesperson said.
In early August the EPA said the first fish kill was caused by a “natural event” which saw thousands of a variety of dead marine life floating or washed ashore around Mannering Park.
Only a month later, on September 6, there was another mass fish kill with reports that this time the dead fish were mostly mullet.
Both the EPA and Central Coast Council have been criticised for leaving residents to clean-up the dead, rotting, stinking fish on their own.
Kenilworth St resident, Neil Wynn, said four days after the fish kill residents in the street had two green bags and cable ties delivered with a letter to pick up their own dead fish.
“It was all too late,” he said.
“The birds were trying to take the fish away, cats were dragging them up into my yard and by lunch time on Saturday the pelicans had eaten most of the fish,” he said.
As the only other alternative, some people bagged the dead fish and left them by the Council bins at Vales Point Reserve near the boat ramp which didn’t sit well with others and caused some tension in the community.
It wasn’t until Friday, September 9 – four days after the fish kill – that Council stepped in to assist the community.
As with the August fish kill, the EPA had instructed Council to manage the fish clean-up and dispose of the fish at a landfill that was licenced to dispose of such waste.
A Council spokesperson said they were unable to enter private properties so Council provided residents along the foreshore with plastic bags, zip ties and disposal instructions so they could collect any dead fish.
“They were asked to place the bags in Council’s skip bins which were located at the foreshore end of Waverley Rd for Council to collect on Monday, September 12,” the spokesperson said.
“When Council services the skip bins, we will also do a general clean-up to ensure there are no remaining bags, litter or other items.”
“Council will also continue to monitor the public foreshore this week to check for further dead fish,” the spokesperson said.
The investigation into the two fish kills is ongoing and the EPA is requesting that if the community has any further information that could assist with its investigation to phone the EPA on 131 555 or Council’s Customer Service Centre on 1300 463 954.
Sue Murray