EPA urge environmental vigilance over festive period

LOCAL businesses and construction sites closing for the festive period are urged to make sure they have properly secured their site, facilities and equipment.

EPA Victoria say factories, warehouses, construction sites and many other businesses will need to take steps to make sure their facilities do not pose an environmental risk.

The environmental body has been in frequent contact with the construction industry and has published a civil construction, building and demolition guide.

This will help builders and land developers manage their environmental and public health obligations including:

Noise and vibration – scheduling works, community consultation, managing noise and vibration at the source, and managing noise using offsite controls

Erosion, sediment and dust – managing stormwater flows, minimising dust, managing stockpiles and working within waterways

Contaminated land and groundwater – identifying presence of contaminated land, and preventing contamination of stormwater and groundwater

Chemical storage and handling – managing storage and handling of liquid and solid chemicals, spill response and cleanup, and managing volatile liquids, and

Waste – managing different types of waste, storage, collection, transport and removal

EPA chief executive officer Lee Miezis said businesses should take all the necessary steps to prevent pollution.

“This means taking the necessary steps to ensure machinery is properly turned off, chemicals are properly stored and there are no leaks escaping the site to stormwater drains.

“It also means security and fire management systems such as alarms and sprinklers are working and firewater containment systems are operational.

“Building sites should also be managing any litter they create. That can often be as simple as making sure the skip bin lid is closed and that waffle slab styrene in particular is properly tethered on site.”

EPA officers will be working over the holiday period and will enforce compliance, with heavy penalties for anyone not talking their responsibilities seriously.

For more information, head to epa.vic.gov.au