logo
Aussie pet food company agrees to pay $1.3 million after 'serious' environmental incident

Aussie pet food company agrees to pay $1.3 million after 'serious' environmental incident

Yahoo22-07-2025
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has agreed to an undertaking from an Australian pet food company that it will spend more than $1.375 million on safety equipment upgrades following an incident at its factory. The legally binding agreement was made after 300 litres of phosphoric acid spilled from a drum at the Australian Pet Brands facility in Dubbo, NSW.
The acid is a common ingredient in pet food, and often used in very small quantities to improve flavour or prolong shelf-life. But the scope of the incident was so serious, emergency HAZMAT crews were called in to respond, and they discovered the liquid had spread across multiple floors.
Jason Gordon, the EPA executive director of regulatory operations, described the 2023 event as a 'serious chemical spill', which therefore 'demanded' a response from emergency services.
'Fortunately, no environmental harm occurred, but the potential risk was significant,' he added.
Pictures supplied to Yahoo News show the plastic tank that overflowed was severely discoloured by the spill. It occurred due to a faulty valve inside the factory's production tower.
What changes will the pet food factory make?
Under the agreement, Australian Pet Brands, will spend over $1 million relocating its acid dosing system from the top to the ground floor. It will also automate manual systems and improve training to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents.
'These changes will not only make the site safer for workers, but they'll also provide stronger protection for the environment by improving how chemicals are stored, handled and monitored,' Gordon said.
🥊 Aussie publican receives death threats after filming controversial act with kangaroo
🔎 Rare species with less than a thousand in the wild tracked down
☠️ Warning signs placed around Australian shopping centre after mass poisoning
The company will also pay $75,000 to a local environmental charity. The EPA said the outcome holds the company to account while also helping to improve safety at the site.
Australian Pet Brands has been contacted for comment.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Novo Nordisk appoints new CEO Maziar Doustdar
Novo Nordisk appoints new CEO Maziar Doustdar

UPI

time31 minutes ago

  • UPI

Novo Nordisk appoints new CEO Maziar Doustdar

Novo Nordisk announced that Mike Doustdar has been appointed as the new CEO on Tuesday. Photo by Ida MArie Odgaard/EPA-EFE July 29 (UPI) -- Novo Nordisk announced Tuesday that Mike Doustdar has been appointed as the company's new CEO. Doustdar steps into the role succeeding Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, effective Aug. 7, 2025, which will also serve as Joregensens last day. "Mike is an exceptional leader and has the unanimous support of the board. We are confident that he is the best person to lead Novo Nordisk through its next growth phase. Mike has consistently demonstrated the ability to drive growth through strong commercial execution and building high-performing teams," Novo Nordisk Chair Helge Lund said in a press release. "This is an important moment for Novo Nordisk. The market is developing rapidly, and the company needs to address recent market challenges with speed and ambition. I believe Novo Nordisk will build on its strengths as a global leader in obesity and diabetes, and Mike has a clear vision of how to unlock the full potential of the opportunities ahead." "It's an enormous privilege to lead this company at a time of tremendous opportunity and change. I come to this role with a sense of urgency, a laser focus on high performance, and a fierce determination for Novo Nordisk to aim higher than it's ever done, and to deliver to many more patients the innovation they need," said Doutsdar. Novo Nordisk is also announcing its merging the company's Research & Early Development with its Development area into a consolidated R&D unit. The company has also recently ended its partnership with Hims & Hers over its sale and promotion of a cheaper version of Wegovy, a weight loss drug last month.

High-tech company unveils game-changing alternative to traditional rubber tires: 'Attests to the responsible management … from plantation to factory'
High-tech company unveils game-changing alternative to traditional rubber tires: 'Attests to the responsible management … from plantation to factory'

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

High-tech company unveils game-changing alternative to traditional rubber tires: 'Attests to the responsible management … from plantation to factory'

Tire company Pirelli turned heads after revealing a revolutionary new tire made mostly from plant-based and recycled materials, Interesting Engineering reported. The new Pirelli P Zero is the first standard-production tire "for the global market made with over 70% bio-based and recycled materials," according to a Pirelli press release. The 22-inch tires, designed specifically for Jaguar Land Rover, incorporate steel recycled from scrap metal, oils from end-of-life tires, silica derived from rice husks, and Forest Stewardship Council-certified natural rubber, Pirelli said. The tires also use bio-circular polymers made out of used cooking oil and plant-based plasticizers. All of these advancements significantly reduce the amount of dirty-fuel-based materials used in the tire but without compromising the tire's ultra-high-performance rating, according to Pirelli. The production, wear, and disposal of automobile tires take a significant, yet often overlooked, toll on public health and the environment. "Global dependence on tires produced from natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds, including plastics, represents a persistent and complex environmental problem with only partial and often-times, ineffective solutions," the EPA said in a risk assessment. The production and use of automobile tires produce heavy metals and other toxins that are released into the environment as "chemical cocktails," per the EPA. "Tire dust emitted during use is a major component of urban runoff and a source of unique and highly potent toxic substances, many of which are currently unknown or poorly described," the EPA risk assessment found. That Pirelli engineers have succeeded in developing an ultra-high-performance, 22-inch tire suitable for the luxury market while using 70% recycled and plant-based materials serves as proof that more environmentally friendly tires are possible. What factor would make you most likely to get an induction stove? Energy savings Faster cook time Cleaner air when cooking Government incentives Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In 2021, Pirelli manufactured its first tire using Forest Stewardship Council-certified rubber, and the company has said that all of its European manufacturing facilities will be FSC-certified by 2026. "This certification attests to the responsible management of the natural rubber supply chain, from plantation to factory," Pirelli said in its press release. The new Pirelli P Zero will be available on select 22-inch Range Rover wheel options, the company said. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

Trump rolling back ‘trillion dollars' of Dem green car regulations
Trump rolling back ‘trillion dollars' of Dem green car regulations

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

Trump rolling back ‘trillion dollars' of Dem green car regulations

A trillion dollars worth of Obama-era greenhouse gas regulations for cars, trucks, and engines will be axed this year, along with the unpopular stop-start feature in vehicles, EPA boss Lee Zeldin plans to announce Tuesday. The EPA proposal to repeal the 2009 'Endangerment Finding' represents a major rollback of US climate action, and follows President Trump's Day One Executive Order, 'Unleashing American Energy.' It will be released for public comment before going into effect later this year. EPA boss Lee Zeldin is set to announce the proposal Tuesday. REUTERS 'With this proposal, the Trump EPA is proposing to end 16 years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers,' said EPA Administrator Zeldin. 'Stakeholders have told me that the Obama and Biden EPAs twisted the law, ignored precedent, and warped science to . . . stick American families with hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden taxes every single year.' Zeldin claims the repeal will save Americans as much as $50 billion annually on cheaper cars by slashing greenhouse gas emissions standards on vehicles, including the Biden electric vehicle mandate. He was set to unveil the proposal in Indianapolis Tuesday with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Attorney General Todd Rokita, Rep. Jim Baird, the Indiana Motor Truck Association, and the National Automobile Dealers Association. 'We heard loud and clear the concern that EPA's greenhouse gas emissions standards themselves, not carbon dioxide which the Finding never assessed independently, was the real threat to Americans' livelihoods,' said Zeldin. 'If finalized, rescinding the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations would end $1 trillion or more in hidden taxes on American businesses and families.' The repeal of the Endangerment Finding likely will face fierce legal challenges from blue states and climate activists. Another obstacle is the fact that Congress codified greenhouse gases as pollutants in 2022 in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store