A HOBSONS Bay councillor has blamed the Environment Protection Authority for withholding information about a controversial proposal to fumigate containers with methyl bromide in Spotswood.
Williamstown ward’s Cr Angela Altair said a report tabled “in the public interest” at last week’s council meeting was triggered by an application by Container Fumigation Services (CFS) to fumigate containers with the toxic gas about 250 metres from homes in Newport.
The report contained correspondence received by the council relating to the health and environmental effects of methyl bromide use at Altona in 2010. CFS carried out that fumigation. On August 13, 2010, Victoria’s then-chief health officer John Carnie, representing the Health Department, said the “EPA has responsibility for the protection of the environment and is therefore the appropriate agency to respond to these concerns.”
In the letter dated September 17, 2010, then-minister for climate change Gavin Jennings stated the EPA had “been in contact with the Department of Health as the primary regulatory authority for fumigation”.
“I am . . . informed that EPA’s investigations showed minimal impact from the operations . . .”
Cr Altair told the council meeting that the EPA was holding things up.
“As the report also says, the status of that [Spotswood] application is that a large number of objections have been received, but we’re still waiting on some of the referral agencies to provide information and my understanding is that it’s the EPA that’s holding things up.
“I know people keep asking, you know, what’s going on and where is it at?
“But the information that has been supplied does show there are recognised environmental health risks associated with the use of that particular fumigant and obviously the officers will take that into account when the information relating to that application is received.”
EPA manager Richard Marks said the fumigators were not licensed by the EPA and did not report to them.
“Licenses or permits are required by the Department of Health and the Department of Primary Industries for most fumigation activities.
“Local councils may also have controls over fumigation operators via conditions in planning permits. We encourage the community to report suspected pollution to EPA’s pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.”
—Goya Dmytryshchak
