A Drouin business has been fines almost $6000 after a spill at its premises sent almost 1000 litres of canola oil into a stormwater drain leading to Stony Creek.
The Environment Protection Authority has fined Evison Grain $5928 after officers inspected the Weerong Rd business premises in April.
Following up on a pollution report, EPA officers inspected the premises and were told a tank had ruptured while being moved, sending the oil into a stormwater drain along the boundary of the property.
The EPA reported the company had used sawdust to soak up the spill and a biological product to break up the oil in the drain. But EPA officers found there was still a strong cooking oil smell and grass leading to the stormwater drain was coated in an oily substance.
EPA Gippsland regional manager Zac Dornom said cooking oil might seem harmless, but it could cause 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" he said.
EPA fined 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.
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006, the operator has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed or be considered by a court.
Community members can report pollution by calling EPA's 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at make a report (epa.vic.gov.au/make-report).