GIPPSLAND’S Evison Grain has been fined $5928 by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria following a canola oil spill.

The fine relates to what EPAV said was the escape of nearly 1000 litres of canola oil from its Weerong Road, Drouin premises into a stormwater drain leading to Stony Creek.

In a statement provided to Grain Central, Evison Grain said it took action to remediate the spill, and intended to ask for a review of the infringement notice.

Following a pollution report, EPAV said its officers inspected the site on April 30 and were told a tank had ruptured while being moved, sending the oil into a stormwater drain on the property’s boundary.

“The company had used sawdust to soak up the spill and a biological product to break up the oil in the drain, but the EPA officers found there was still a strong cooking oil smell, and grass leading to the stormwater drain was coated in an oily substance,” the EPAV statement said.

In its statement to Grain Central, Evison Grain said the spill occurred when an intermediate bulk container (IBC)  split while being filled by a tanker.

“Shavings were placed on to the concrete, three straw bales were placed in the drain at different intervals, and paper litter placed in front of the canola oil to stop it from moving down the drain,” Evison Grains said.

“Bacterial cultures were scatted over the canola oil to break it down organically.

“Evison Grain was able to stop the spread of the canola oil to the next door’s drain and is confident the canola oil didn’t progress further.”

In the EPAV statement, EPA Gippsland regional manager Zac Dornom said cooking oil can do serious damage to the environment.

“Vegetable oils stick to aquatic plants and animals in waterways causing suffocation, and breakdown products from the oil are toxic to microscopic waterway life,” Mr Dornom said.

“We gave the company compliance advice on the clean-up, and liquid storage and handling, then we issued an Improvement Notice requiring them to take measures to minimise the risk of any future spills.”

The EPAV fine was issued to Evison Grain for the unlawful deposit of between 50 and 1000 litres of waste into the environment, an offence under the Environment Protection Act 2017.

Evison Grain was established in the early 1970s as a provider of hay and grain, and is a leading supplier of both to beef and dairy operations in West Gippsland.

Source: Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Evison Grain