EPA Intimidation

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Edit - 29 December, 2014: see here for the latest. 


On 27 November, EPA Officer Mr Danny Childs drove along the South Costerfield-Graytown Road, right past the dying scrub and the patches of oily pollution. He drove past the noisy, 70-acre dust-generating evaporation facility construction site that is soon to resemble a broken mirror-ball. He drove past the five kilometres of plastic pipe in the bush that is to transport toxic water through Crown land.

He drove past the 3/4 of a kilogram of antimony that each "dust suppression" truck distributes uniformly along and beside the road. (23,000 ug/litre x 33,000 litres per truck.)

He arrived at Glen Lea, the chemical-free farm owned by Mr Colin Leask. Mr Leask was not home. 

Mr Childs could smell something. Compost. On Mr Leask's property. Compost on a farm! No way!? To assist in the production of chemical-free lamb. Mr Childs issued a notice to Mr Leask for having the audacity to store compost for his farm on his farm. And he took photos, too!

This is what happens when you upset a regulatory authority in Costerfield. It gets personal.

Isn't it convenient that Mr Childs visited Glen Lea during the caretaker period caused by the election? He has never bothered to do so before.

Isn't it strange that Mr Childs has been conspicuous by his absence during the whole of the previous weeks of noise and dust issues that we have raised on the blog?

Here is our response to Mr Tony Robinson, part of that 'whole of government' response. (Perhaps it should now be call the 'whole of previous government' response.)

From: Andrew Helps []
Sent: Monday, 1 December 2014 9:04 PM
To: tony.robinson@epa.vic.gov.au
Cc: Colin Leask 
Subject: EPA Intimidation

Tony,

Please find the attached notice issued by your Mr Danny Childs today.

This clumsy attempt to intimidate Mr Leask is highly inappropriate at this time and has no basis in law.

The EPA is not prosecuting the mine for dumping category A industrial waste on the roadway in front of Mr Leask’s farm but issues these notices to Mr Leask for his legitimate farm composting operation.

The notice has been issued under the provisions of S27A (2) (a).

Mr Childs, in his enthusiasm to avoid his duties vis-a-vis the dumping of Category A prescribed Industrial waste on the roadway in front of Mr Leask’s farm, has failed to understand that this is a composting operation for farm waste.

As you would be aware Tony,   S27A (2) (a) deals with industrial waste – under the EPA Act industrial waste does not include farm waste  (See definition in the EPA Act).

Tony, this notice can only be viewed as a clumsy attempt at intimidation of Mr Leask at the worst possible time. EPA will have a new Minister on Thursday  and I am sure that this new Minister will see this action by the EPA for what it is, outright intimidation as retribution for Mr Leask’s identification of the category a prescribed Industrial waste being dumped on the roadway in front of his farm by the contractors employed by Mandalay Resources.

I would respectfully suggest that EPA withdraw these notices by close of business tomorrow.

If you want to discuss this matter give me a call 04*******

Regards

Andrew Helps
Managing Director   Hg Recoveries Pty Ltd  ACN 144 752 885

Level 13, 350 Collins Street Melbourne Vic 3000

A member of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership

Partnership Areas: Mercury in Gold Mining,

Mercury Air Transport and Fate, Mercury in Products,

Mercury Waste Management, Mercury Supply and Storage

Heavy Metal Specialists

****

The EPA has a noise policy it is is supposed to enforce.... FAIL! 
For some reason DSDBI is in charge and they let the mine look after things.

The EPA has an air quality policy it is supposed to enforce.... FAIL!
For some reason DSDBI is in charge and they let the mine look after things.

(Remember Class 3 Indicators.)

Oh, but if a farmer has compost on his land then throw the book at him.

It seems justifiable to assume that Mr Childs, as Team Leader - Field Operations, EPA North West, would, should, have been involved with approval of the spraying of this water along a public road and into State Forest. This is a discharge

We are surprised Mr Childs even knows where Costerfield is. 

Shouldn't he have been out conducting an "Operation" in the "Field" at some stage, having a look at these things that his "Authority" is supposed to be in charge of?