EPA fines council depot contractor.
AUTHORITIES have fined the contractors working on the Clarence Valley Council depot site in South Grafton $15,000, but found no asbestos had leached from the former sewerage treatment plant.
But the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), said its tests of water samples taken from the runoff in March found no evidence of asbestos.
Instead the EPA fined Hutchinson because they had inadequate erosion and sediment controls in place at the site, which allowed sediment to flow into the stormwater system, and then into the Clarence River.
EPA manager regional operations North Coast Brett Nudd said erosion and sediment controls were not adequate at the time of the incident.
"EPA officers inspected the site in March during a heavy rain event and observed large volumes of turbid, sediment laden water leaving the site and entering the stormwater system," Mr Nudd said.
The samples showed no evidence that asbestos, which has been detected on the site in the past, was present in the stormwater.
Hutchinson Builders are remediating the former sewage treatment plant and are responsible for the installation and maintenance of sedimentation and erosion controls on the site.
The EPA said it also issued a prevention notice to Clarence Valley Council and Hutchinson Builders which required them to submit an updated erosion and sediment control plan and to install the updated controls by March 29, 2017.
Hutchinson cannot comment because of its contract with the council.