By Belinda Nolan
A BROOKLYN abattoir has been fined for dumping contaminated water into Kororoit Creek but residents say it’s too little, too late.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) last week issued Brooklyn Meat Processors with a $5506 penalty, after investigations revealed the company had allowed waste water containing sheep faeces and urine to enter the creek via a storm water drain.
EPA officers inspecting the Geelong road premises on 8 April found waste from a floor drain under the sheep holding pens was flowing directly into a storm water pit leading to the creek.
EPA spokesperson Ruth Ward said the company had been unaware of the contamination, but Brooklyn Residents’ Action Group president Brian Long was critical.
“Where else would the water be going?” he said.
Mr Long said Brooklyn residents had been complaining about odours coming from the site for years but little had been done to address the situation.
“This has been going on for a long time and Brooklyn residents are sick and tired of it,” he said.
“All these smells are really depreciating the value of the area.
“Who wants to buy a house in a tip? It’s gotten that bad that some days you can’t go out into your own backyard.”
Mr Long said the recent fine was not enough to make a significant impact.
“If the EPA is going to be serious about this they should be fining them a lot more,” he said.
“They should triple that or make it $50,000. At $5000 they are laughing. It’s chicken feed.”
Ms Ward said the fine was considered a standard amount for the type of offence.
She said the site had been investigated in the past in response to odour complaints and would continue to be monitored to ensure the company was complying with discharge regulations.
“It’s very important that companies are aware of their environmental obligations and responsibilities and to ensure that they’re not having an impact on the environment as they have in this case,” she said.
Ms Ward said there was no evidence of dead fish or other wildlife as a result of the contamination.
The company has 28 days to pay the fine or seek a review.
Brooklyn Meat Processors did not respond to Star’s calls before deadline.
