What happened

EPA has investigated an illegal waste dump at a large rural property. It is located approximately 15 kilometres south of Kaniva near Lemon Springs on a 1,400 acre property on the Kaniva-Edenhope Rd.

What EPA is doing

See below for details on our upcoming community event

As part of an EPA investigation 20 sites have been located on the property with what we suspect are industrial waste containers buried underground. We used a new form of drone technology with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), a first for an Australian regulator, in the investigation.

EPA is working with Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation (GWMWater) to monitor groundwater. With the data collected, EPA has not found any groundwater impacts.

EPA has expanded the program to monitor groundwater conditions on the property. GWMWater will continue to monitor the urban supply. EPA has appointed a contractor to construct new bores on-site, undertaking more groundwater testing. Drilling of the new bores has commenced. Please see this fact sheet prepared by GWMWater for more information on Kaniva's groundwater supply.

We also carried out soil sampling and assessed surface level vapour risks on areas suspected of buried waste to determine if any harmful gasses are escaping from underground. The results have come back negative to both public health and environmental concerns.

We are also conducting more drone with GPR flights over the property to do further search and mapping work.

EPA has also hired contractors to undertake further assessments to identify any more measures required, beyond the steps we are already taking, to ensure the safety of the community and the environment. The assessment is underway and expected to be completed around the end of the year.

In the coming weeks, EPA staff will also conduct preliminary on-site excavation works at some of the suspected sites of illegally dumped waste to start the process of identifying the type and extent of buried waste.

EPA has taken a further step in the ongoing legal process. It has issued the owner of the property, Mr Graham White, a clean up notice (CUN). This states the site has to be secure and have signage installed. It also orders the carrying out of an Environmental Site Assessment, supervised by EPA. This will determine the type and extent of the contamination present. The legal notice stops Mr White from excavating any of the buried waste at the site.

EPA’s role

EPA holds the duty holder to account. Under the Environment Protection Act 1970, the person who dumped the waste must clean up the site.

A cleanup cost or timeframe is not yet available. To determine a cost, we need to know more about the waste. This includes what is in buried drums and containers, and exactly how much is there. We expect clean up to take some time. It will be a complex process.

This has been an extensive investigation with more work to come.

The challenges included:

• the size and remoteness of the premises
• the natural geology
• the potential areas where waste may be buried underground
• the waste is buried making analysis and quantification difficult.

Risks to human health and the environment

EPA's priority throughout its investigation of this site is the safety of the community and our staff.

EPA is working with GWMWater to monitor groundwater. With the data collected, EPA has not found any groundwater impacts.

EPA has expanded program to monitor groundwater conditions on the property. GWMWater will continue to monitor the urban supply. EPA has appointed a contractor to construct new bores on-site and to undertake further rounds of groundwater testing.

We also carried out soil sampling and assessed surface level vapour risks on areas suspected of buried waste. The latter means identifying if any harmful gasses are escaping from underground. The results have come back negative to both public health and environmental concerns.

What you can expect over the next three months

• results from further rounds of groundwater monitoring completed at on-site and off-site bores monitoring
• excavation works at some of the suspected illegally dumped waste to continue
• additional drone flights over the property will be conducted 
• there will be continued engagement with both local community groups and government organisations.

EPA presence in the Kaniva community will be noticeable and there will be continued sharing of information.

Below are details for an upcoming meeting we will be holding to update the community with the latest information. Relevant government organisations will also be in attendance to answer questions.

EPA will be joined by representatives from Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation (GWMWater), West Wimmera Shire Council, AgVic, WorkSafe and CFA.

Community event

When:  Thursday 21 November 2019

Time:    5 pm to 6.30 pm

Where: Kaniva Shire Hall, Baker Street, Kaniva

RSVP: Please register by emailing northwest.mailbox@epa.vic.gov.au

For regular updates, members of the public can visit the EPA website https://ref.epa.vic.gov.au/kaniva. You can also call 1300 EPA VIC or email northwest.mailbox@epa.vic.gov.au with any questions.