MTAW Group Pty Ltd, trading as Melbourne Transport and Warehousing, the company allegedly behind a chemical spill that polluted Cherry Creek and Cherry Lake in Altona North, leading to the deaths of large numbers of fish, has been charged by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).

The charges allege that MTAW Group Pty Ltd failed to minimise risk of harm to human health and the environment from pollution or waste in contravention of its General Environmental Duty (GED). 

It is alleged the company failed to take all reasonably practicable action to reduce the risk of a spill or leak of dangerous goods stored at its Laverton North site. 

Under the GED provisions of the Environment Protection Act 2017, MTAW Group Pty Ltd allegedly failed to act to minimise the risk of harm to human health and the environment and EPA has laid charges to reflect this. 

“The decision to charge MTAW Group Pty Ltd and take enforcement action is in addition to the regulatory notices issued to them to clean-up impacts on the waterways, following an incident that saw the community denied access to the creek and lake for several months and allegedly caused thousands of fish deaths,” said EPA CEO Lee Miezis.

“EPA and partner agencies were active in managing the incident which began on 6 March this year and continues at the site to this day as the waterway recovers from the impacts on the chemical spill.”

“The GED makes protection of the environment everyone’s business, and our enforcement action today sends a strong message to polluters that we will hold them to account.”

The company faces a maximum penalty of up $1.8 million.

For more information about EPA’s regulatory action go to epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/incidents/cherry-creek-and-lake