The Department of Education has been fined $15,000 by the Environment Protection Authority over its inadequate response to the coal fire which has plagued Cringila Public School.
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The department had been given until early November to complete a consultant’s report detailing how the coal fire and the resulting pollution incident would be ended.
This was part of a clean-up notice slapped on the department by the EPA in October, after the fire burned up again on land next to the school.
The land had previously been used as a coal was emplacement (storage) area, and the fire had previously ignited in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
The EPA demanded the department engage a qualified consultant to report on any risks to human health or the environment, how to cease the pollution incident, and how to prevent it recurring. That report was to be completed within two weeks from October 25.
But by early February the report had not been completed, and the department gave only short and cursory responses to the Mercury’s questions about why it was taking so long, what would be done, and whether the fire was out.
The EPA has now clearly run out of patience with the department’s failure to meet its obligations.
“While the department has undertaken some activities, the EPA determined that the department has not met the requirements of the notice,” an EPA statement said on Friday afternoon.
“An expert report was not provided by the deadline and the information provided to date does not address the notice requirements.
“Whilst safeguard measures are currently in place to ensure risks to the community and environment are addressed, the intent of the report was to help ensure appropriate measures are progressed to manage the site for the long term.”
The EPA said while temperatures are raised, there is only a “low” risk to people from inhaling the smoke.
“Ongoing thermal monitoring by Department of Education consultants indicates subsurface temperatures remain elevated in some areas but the inhalation risk to human health remains low,” the EPA said.
A Department of Education spokesman said an “interim report” it had provided to the EPA was not regarded by the agency as good enough, as “they did not believe it addressed all of the concerns raised in the clean-up notice”.
“Air quality testing is being continually undertaken and reports published weekly on the departments website,” the spokesman said.
“All testing has highlighted the air quality is within acceptable limits.
“The department’s short delay in responding was due to the environmental consultant needing some months to measure and monitor the sub-surface temperature of the hotspot to accurately assess the underground activity prior to developing a mitigation strategy.”
Do you know more? email blangford@fairfaxmedia.com.au
