How effective is Australia’s regulation of its waste industry? Are we being fooled by greenwashing? Are Waste to Energy incinerators safe? Is Western Sydney copping an unfair share of Sydney’s waste and how could that affect the health of residents? Why is it so hard for communities to get action, when they are overwhelmed by unhealthy odours?
A year after the alleged first pollution offences occurred, the NSW EPA has notified residents that it has commenced legal proceedings against Macquarie-owned Bingo Industries waste facility at Eastern Creek. Local residents filed hundreds of complaints about odours spreading through their Western Sydney suburbs. The odours still continue. This story also covers Bingo's poor record at managing asbestos.
The NSW Environmental Protection Authority met with Bingo senior executives as odours continue to overwhelm residents living around its Macquarie-owned waste facility at Eastern Creek. It ordered work to stop where no odour controls were in place.
Foul odours are again plaguing residents in Western Sydney as floods and rain cause a crisis in the waste industry and raising further concerns about the NSW's capacity to regulate powerful companies.
The NSW EPA ordered Bingo Industries to install a gas plant to remove unhealthy hydrogen sulphide odours. Two gas flares were lit but the odours continue. Western Sydney residents, backed by local Labor MPs, are calling on the EPA to close the plant down. In this blog post, I reveal long term weaknesses in the landfill's environmental record, management and regulation.
Bingo Industries is still causing terrible odours in Western Sydney. The EPA has not used its powers to shut the site down but has restricted Bingo's landfill licence and ordered it to install a gas burning plant. Local MPs, Blacktown Council and residents say they won't stop campaigning until the odours are gone for good.