The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) welcomes the guilty plea and sentencing today in relation to an incident which occurred in November 2019 where pollution caused by Monson Logistics led to fish deaths in Cooee Creek.
Monson Logistics was found guilty of being in breach of section 51A(2) of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 by depositing a pollutant that was reasonably expected to cause material harm.
The EPA's investigation into this matter included statements, laboratory reports on water samples and electro-fishing surveys, and concluded that there was a clear link between the surfactant (a commercial truck wash detergent) that entered the creek from the premises of Monson Logistics and the fish deaths.
Today's determination by the Hobart Magistrates Court and $45,000 fining of Monson Logistics is a timely reminder that companies have a general environmental duty not to discharge pollutants without authority. Discharge of pollutants can cause environmental harm like fish deaths and can also have longer-term impacts on our waterways.
The EPA thanks the community for bringing incidents such as this to its attention.
To notify the EPA of pollution or an environmental incident, members of the public are encouraged to call the Pollution Incidents and Complaints Hotline number 1800 005 171.
EPA Incident investigation photos at Cooee Creek