Key Messages

Stockpiles at Glass Recovery Services in Coolaroo removed

We have finished our work at the Glass Recovery Services site in Coolaroo. We have worked to remove more than 145,000 tonnes of contaminated combustible waste, and 9 million litres of polluted water. We worked closely with a cross-agency regulatory oversight group which included:

• Hume City Council
• WorkSafe Victoria
• Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now Fire Rescue Victoria).

While the work was underway, we monitored onsite and offsite in the community and at neighbouring businesses. We monitored for:

• volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• fine particles (PM_2.5 particles in the air).

Our continuous monitoring found both VOCs and PM_2.5 concentrations were well below guidance values.

About Glass Recovery Services in Coolaroo 

Glass Recovery Services is a recycling plant in Coolaroo. It had:

• contaminated waste
• active hotspots
• leachate risks.

Excessive heat inside waste or a stockpile can cause hotspots. These are dangerous because they can catch fire. Leachate is liquid formed from rainwater and waste that is breaking down.

While we were removing the hotspots and contaminated waste, we also managed the leachate to prevent it from leaving the site.

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EPA's role at the Coolaroo stockpiles

Environmental monitoring at the Coolaroo stockpiles