Lemon Springs (Victoria) Explained

Lemon Springs Bushland Reserve
Iucn Category:IV
Iucn Ref:[1]
Map:Victoria#Australia
Relief:1
Location:Victoria, Australia
Nearest City:Kaniva, Victoria
Established:1992
Governing Body:Environment Protection Authority

Lemon Springs or Lemon Springs Bushland Reserve is a 1400-acre property situated 15km south of Kaniva, Victoria, Australia, in the municipality of West Wimmera Shire Council. It is known as the biggest toxic dumpsite found in Australia.

History and environment

Lemon Springs' native name is Gnalp, which means "Spring"[2] and the site was originally part of a larger property on the Glenelg river, with Pleasant Banks and Montana until the 19th century.[3]

In 1865, Lemon Springs was described as:

A spring of fine fresh water about 16 miles N.N.E of Apsley, in the sandy plains in that district. Miocene underlying tertiary beds of sand and shale.[4]
Wildlife at Lemon Springs is rich and includes endangered cockatoos, echidnas, black wallabies and emus.[5]

Toxic Waste Dumping

Beginning

In August 2012, Graham Leslie White bought the 567-hectare property stating he would use it as a quad biking course for his family.

White partnered with Bradbury Industrial Services after 2013, a waste recycling and remediation company, to offer a cheaper alternative for toxic waste producers and owners.

While eight other places were found to stock waste in Tottenham, Epping and Campbellfield,[6] the Lemon Springs property became the main destination for most of the toxic waste operated by the illegal partnership between White and Bradbury. Their operations were so important that they distorted the toxic waste disposal national market.[7]

In 2016 and 2017, Victoria Police reported White to EPA Victoria for his illegal chemical operations.

In 2018, one of White's properties in West Footscray exploded and became a major industrial fire.[8]

Amount of waste

Through thorough investigation using drones with ground penetrating radar, EPA Victoria discovered 32 sites where containers were buried as well as other smaller dump locations over the 1400 acre property.[9]

EPA Victoria removed the waste from the 32 sites and re-filled 25 of them with clean soil making it the largest project of this kind in Australia. More than 1,650 tonnes of liquid waste and 13,500 tonnes of contaminated soil were removed.[10]

Enforcement and legal action

In December 2019, EPA Victoria took over the management of the site according to its powers given by the Environment Protection Act of 1970 and started the clean up of all sites. This clean up had a budget of 20 million dollars[11] and the recovery cleaning cost will be pursued to be paid by the property owner.

White is facing three charges of dumping industrial waste before the Supreme Court as well as intentional causing of environmental hazards at the Lemon Springs property and an additional 39 charges for the other properties across Melbourne.[12]

Aftermath

The discovery and digging up of 51,500 gas cylinders made for storing acetylene stored in the property raised the question of recycling such tanks and led to the creation of a recycling program dedicated to these cylinders. Enviropacific, a service company received a license by EPA Victoria[13] to create a facility in Stawell which would store, clean and reuse parts of the cylinders.

EPA Victoria has been considering selling the land to a local conservation group.

See also

References

  1. https://www.protectedplanet.net/306674 Protected Area Profile for Lemon Springs Bushland Reserve
  2. Book: Smyth, Robert Brough . The Aborigines of Victoria . 1878 . J. Ferres, Government printer . en.
  3. Book: Sutherland, Alexander . Victoria and Its Metropolis, Past and Present ... . 1888 . McCarron, Bird & Company . en.
  4. Book: Bailliere's Victorian Gazetteer and Road Guide: Containing the Most Recent and Accurate Information as to Every Place in the Colony : with Map . 1865 . F.F. Bailliere . en.
  5. Web site: Team . Chris Vedelago,The Visual Stories . Inside Australia's worst toxic waste dump . 2024-01-15 . theage . en.
  6. Web site: Victoria . Environment Protection Authority . Bradbury cleanup project Environment Protection Authority Victoria . 2024-01-16 . www.epa.vic.gov.au . en.
  7. Web site: Houston . Chris Vedelago, Sumeyya Ilanbey, Cameron . 2019-12-08 . The man who made a toxic waste disaster . 2024-01-16 . The Age . en.
  8. Web site: Ilanbey . Chris Vedelago, Cameron Houston, Sumeyya . 2019-11-07 . What happened to us in West Footscray? Firefighters call for answers after toxic fire . 2024-01-16 . The Age . en.
  9. Web site: Victoria . Environment Protection Authority . Alleged illegal dump site at Lemon Springs Environment Protection Authority Victoria . 2024-01-15 . www.epa.vic.gov.au . en.
  10. Web site: Victoria . Environment Protection Authority . 2023-06-22 . Lemon Springs update - June 2023 Environment Protection Authority Victoria . 2024-01-16 . www.epa.vic.gov.au . en.
  11. News: PUBLIC ACCOUNTS AND ESTIMATES COMMITTEE . 14 June 2023 . Inquiry into the 2023–24 Budget Estimates . 16 January 2024 . 2.
  12. News: 2023-06-23 . Inside the massive clean-up of this giant, secret and highly toxic dump — and how it changed recycling for good . 2024-01-16 . ABC News . en-AU.
  13. Web site: Enviropacific Services Limited (APP021186) . 2024-01-16 . Engage Victoria . en.