Benjamin Millar
Western suburb councils have slammed the state environmental watchdog’s decision to give the green light for toxic West Gate Tunnel soil to be treated in Ravenhall.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) announced on Friday it had approved an Environment Management Plan (EMP) for Cleanaway’s Spoil Management and Reuse Facility to accept and process the contaminated soil.
The proposed location of the facility is adjacent to Melbourne Regional Landfill in Ravenhall and is part of Cleanaway’s application to receive tunnel boring machine spoil from the West Gate Tunnel Project.
It follows recent approvals for dumping at Maddingley Brown Coal in in Bacchus Marsh and the Hi Quality site in Bulla.
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The door has been opened for toxic soil to be dumped in Bacchus Marsh following approval of an Environment Management Plan (EMP) for Maddingley Brown Coal.
The EMP was submitted by Western Soil Treatment (WST) as part of its application to receive tunnel boring machine spoil from the West Gate Tunnel Project.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria approved the plan today after determining there were appropriate measures to keep the environment and community safe.
EPA said it assessed the plan for potential environmental impacts, such as runoff, odour, and potential land, surface water and groundwater risks.
Under government regulations, the owner of a site bidding to receive the spoil must develop an EMP and comply with specific conditions including constructing an appropriate containment system and managing spoil appropriately, so risks are controlled.
Benjamin Millar
Melton council has launched legal action in the Supreme Court against the state government’s approval of toxic West Gate Tunnel soil being dumped in Ravenhall, the latest twist in the long-running saga.
State Planning Minister Richard Wynne late last year delivered approval for Cleanaway to receive and store contaminated soil from the $6.8 billion project at its Ravenhall tip and for Maddingley Brown Coal to take the soil in Bacchus Marsh.
But Melton council’s chief executive last week instructed lawyers to challenge the planning minister’s green light for the soil to be processed in the area.