2 days ago
$1,900 fine for bin mistake on city street: 'Not acceptable'
Residents in one Aussie state are being reminded that stormwater drains are just for rain, after a professional bin washing business was caught hosing 'bin juice' down the gutter.
A resident in Docklands, in Melbourne's CBD, filmed the workers from Master Bin Boys, trading as The Bin Butlers, using a high-pressure washer to clean a skip bin on Pearl River Road.
The company, which is the City of Melbourne's preferred supplier for bin cleaning, states on its website that it is 'on top of the city's waste laws'. It was slapped with a $1,900 fine from the Environment Protection Agency [EPA] after the footage was reviewed.
Stormwater drains carry rainwater into waterways, and any pollutants that enter the drains can impact aquatic ecosystems.
EPA West Metropolitan Regional Manager, Julia Gaitan, said the incident was 'not acceptable' and further monitoring of the company will be in place.
'The company has specialised trucks designed to lift and wash bins, then capture wastewater for later disposal to trade waste,' Ms Gaitan said.
'Why Bin Butlers was simply washing the bins out in the street, then hosing the street down, is not clear. Our officers have spoken to the company, which has committed to improving staff training, so we'll monitor to ensure that is happening.
'But if you're a community member and you see this kind of activity, we're keen to hear from you. It's everybody's duty to act to protect the environment. Hosing bin juice down the drain, especially on a commercial scale, is not acceptable.'
Yahoo News has contacted The Bin Butlers for comment.
Any residents who witness pollution are urged to call the EPA on 1300 372 842.
Earlier this year, a council in Sydney was called out for clogging stormwater drains with grass clippings after mowing a nature strip.
Liverpool Council ignored its own advice on its website, which advises residents not to dump garden waste — including grass clippings — as it 'often gets washed into our stormwater and ends up in our creeks, rivers and beaches'.
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