Environmental regulatory compliance on both a national and international stage is an important issue for all businesses. Morphum Environmental was recently engaged by a client after they received a Pollution Abatement Notice (PAN) from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria. PAN’s are issued under section 31A of the Environmental Protection Act, they “aim to prevent further occurrence of pollution or potential environmental risk through installation of risk controls and changes to on-site processes and practices”.
Given Morphum Environmental’s expertise in environmental audits and EPA legislation, our team was able to guide the client through the stressful situation, allowing them to continue running their day to day business whilst we dealt with all EPA compliance issues, within the short time frame imposed. Multiple site visits were conducted, ensuring the client’s business needs were at the forefront of our environmental management solutions. A Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) was created in consultation with EPA recommendations.
Feedback from the client was that Morphum Environmental’s ability to address EPA regulations was excellent, with clear communication lines established at the beginning of the project, allowing for an efficient collaboration of ideas between Morphum Environmental and the EPA. The EPA was extremely happy with the positive engagement from Morphum Environmental; this led to the EPA revoking the PAN, with the client avoiding a large financial penalty.
Recent changes to the Victorian Governments environmental protection laws mean that from 1st of July 2020 a new General Environmental Duty (GED) will become the cornerstone of the Environmental Protection Act 2018. Business, industry and community members will be required to “undertake reasonably practical steps to eliminate or otherwise reduce risks of harm to human health or the environment from pollution or waste”. A breach of the GED could lead to criminal or civil penalties.