AN INDUSTRIAL composting company in the Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire is at the centre of serious water contamination concerns in Parliament.
The Peel-Harvey estuary, along with the Jandakot Mound may be affected by the processing of unknown liquid waste at Bio-Organics Pty Ltd and is the cause of what Shadow Minister for Environment Chris Tallentire describes as “sewerage-type smells that are so acute that people are woken up in the middle of the night”.
Mr Tallentire said it was unknown where the waste was originating from but it was possible that it was a nitrogenous material which was entering the property which is only 250metres from the Jandakot water supply.
It is also possible the material could enter the Serpentine River, making its way to the Peel Harvey Estuary.
The Department of Environment and Regulation (DER) said it followed the Environmental Protection Authority’s recommendation of a separation distance of 150m however the boundary regulation from the Department of Health is 1000m.
During a grievance motion in State Parliament on October 31, Mr Tallentire called on the Government to shut down the operations of Bio-Organics until investigations had been made.
“People do not have scheme water in this area and are reliant on either the groundwater, which has been contaminated, or water catchment from their roof containing potentially toxic dust,” Mr Tallentine said in Parliament.
“Admittedly, the composting licence was approved, but we are talking about much more than composting here.”
Mr Tallentine said the dust from the dried out material at the composting plant can blow onto the roofs of local residents, contaminating any rainwater supplies they may have.
The shadow minister also raised the issue in Parliament of the DER issuing Bio-Organics a licence after the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale refused.
DER issued a licence to Bio-Organics until 2016.
“Something is dramatically wrong in [Environment Minister Albert Jacob’s] agency,” Mr Tallentire said in Parliament.
“It is something the minister must investigate and resolve.”
Questions were raised in a Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale council meeting in May about the odours and concerns of whether the composting company was dumping waste into the environment.
Almost a month later the Council addressed these questions and said: “Bio-Organics does not accept sewerage or bio-solids….these sorts of wastes are more monitored by Department of Environment Conservation [DER]” to ensure compliance and cannot be ‘secretly dumped’”.
Minister for Environment Albert Jacob admitted in parliament the DER had received an increase in odour complaints from the people living around the Oakford composting company, as well as comments about the potential groundwater contamination and the amount of truck movements in the area.
DER conducted a survey from January to March this year which confirmed the presence of distinct strong odours and the department is of the view the issues are primarily related to Bio-Organics processing of biological activators in liquid waste.
Under their current licence, the biological activators which Bio-Organics are allowed to accept include Joe White Maltings which is a beer-making by-product.
DER is in the process of reviewing Bio-Organics current licence to ensure the environmental impacts for this operation are acceptable and will consult with the community and licensee on the proposed amendments.
The department anticipates the review will be finalised later this month
Bio-organics and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale said they were not in a position to comment at this stage.
