The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued two $15,000 penalty notices and six Official Cautions to Supreme Poultry and Chickens Pty Ltd for two breaches found at its Mangrove Mountain premises.
The EPA inspected the premises on 14 January 2016 and found that the effluent ponds were full and overflowing, the irrigation areas were not managed in a competent manner, and parts of the waste water management system were not operating adequately.
Adam Gilligan, EPA hunter manager, said the EPA considers the multiple breaches to be serious, and the latest evidence of the company’s failure to comply with environmental requirements at its various premises.
“These latest non-compliances follow the February 2016 fines for non-compliance at Supreme Poultry’s Shanes Park (Sydney) premises,” said Gilligan. “The EPA has informed Supreme Poultry that it requires full compliance with all EPL conditions at all times and that significant fines and criminal penalties can be issued for non-compliances with licence conditions.
“The EPA has advised Supreme Poultry that any further contraventions of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 may result in the instigation of legal proceedings.”
It has also imposed a number of Pollution Reduction Programs (PRPs) on the company to address the environmental concerns identified. PRPs specify works or actions and the times for their completion and are legally enforceable as well as becoming part of the licence issued by the EPA.
A spokesman for Supreme Poultry and Chickens told http://www.abc.net.au/ that although there was “no actual environmental damage done by Supreme Poultry”, the company was ensuring that these issues will not arise.
“Everything that the EPA has requested or penalised us for has been agreed to be dealt within four weeks, one month.
“We will address all those issues and just move forward from there.”