The Ballarat City Council has again been forced to fork out for works at the former Black Hill landfill site after being hit with three pollution abatement notices from the Environment Protection Authority in less than six months.
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The most recent notice issued by the EPA in September demanded council provide a comprehensive landfill gas risk assessment which included the creation of a conceptual site model based on the landfill characteristics and the likely pathways of gas exposure.
The report stated “the landfill gas monitoring network at the site was inadequate to assess risks to human health and environment on an from the premises”.
The gas risk assessment which is due in November will set council back $10,000.
The Courier understands council has been forced into acquiring multiple pieces of land around the landfill site in recent years due to contamination.
Council refuses to detail the nature or cost of the acquisitions, citing commercial in confidence.
Ballarat City Council also refused a Freedom of Information request lodged by The Courier in regards to a confidential report about the Black Hill landfill passed at a meeting on August 9.
In a statement Ballarat City infrastructure and environment director Terry Demeo said it is not envisaged the former landfill site would ever accommodate any significant building or sensitive land use developments.
“The City of Ballarat has engaged external experts to develop a comprehensive landfill gas assessment, including a review of the existing gas wells established on the site some years ago, and further monitoring recommendations,” Mr Demeo said.
Pollution abatement notices from June also stated council must complete a landfill rehabilitation plan by December 2018, including an assessment of the construction of a cap covering all areas where waste has been confirmed.
An EPA investigation in November 2016 confirmed waste extended beyond the defined boundary of the landfill and was likely to have spread into a number of residential properties around the site. Waste including plastics, brick, metal, paper, cloth, concrete, charcoal, polystyrene and glass was found as low as 15 centimetres below ground level, extending to almost 11 metres.
Mr Demeo also confirmed no recent water testing had been conducted at the site despite the former landfill.
The notices come after the council was fined more than $1000 by the EPA in January for failing to fully comply with a notice that required it to detail the extent of waste that exists beyond the boundary of the former landfill.
