By Casey Neill
A Gembrook potato farmer and processor received a $7700 fine for dumping waste in Cockatoo.
The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) southern metro manager Marleen Mathias said the action against Mountain Harvest Foods followed community pollution reports.
“EPA officers found rotting and odorous waste that included potato cakes, sweet potato and other vegetables,” she said.
“The company confirmed the waste had been deposited on the land because it was not collected by its waste management contractor.
“The company has then taken it into its own hands to take the waste, which contained liquid oils, and illegally dumped it at the Cockatoo property where it was to be fed to cattle.”
Ms Mathias said the waste was not suitable to be deposited at a farm “and once it was deposited it became disposal of an industrial waste at a site not licensed to accept waste of that kind”.
She said the company had now educated its staff about waste that was allowed to be taken for feeding to cattle and how it should be transported.
Mountain Harvest also engaged an environmental consultant to audit its environmental management plan, she said.
Mountain Harvest Foods director Christina de Sousa said the company was committed to complying with all regulations and growing in a sustainable manner.
“This includes how we handle our waste and in order to do so, we have developed a comprehensive waste management plan for our premises,” she said.
“We are extremely unhappy about the circumstances relating to this issue, which occurred during a time of transition from traditional landfill to organic recycling (which is better for the environment).
“This issue highlighted a gap in our sustainability plan which was rectified immediately.
“Soil is one of our primary resources and soil management is critical to the success of our business – we take our stewardship of the land very seriously.”
The Gazette reported in June last year that Mountain Harvest Foods had poured almost a million dollars into protecting the environment.
But like many burgeoning businesses it had at times struggled to keep up with its environmental obligations during its rapid expansion.
It has worked with the EPA over the past seven years, addressing issues as they arise.
In June last year, the EPA issued the business with a remedial notice relating to ongoing pollution reports regarding a fish and chip-like odour emitting from the Mountain Road factory.
Then-EPA southern metropolitan manager Leigh Bryant said Mountain Harvest Foods came to EPA’s attention in March 2015 following community pollution reports.
“Mountain Harvest Foods has complied with a number of remedial notices relating to wastewater, and has prepared a waste management plan for its premises,” he said.
“EPA is satisfied that the company is actively working to achieve compliance with this notice within the required timeframes”.
