Media statement regarding Bingo odours in Minchinbury

The fee ($577) mentioned in the reports is an administration fee, not a fine.

The EPA issued Bingo with a Clean-Up Notice on Friday 23 April 2021 to fix a broken landfill pipe and vent emitting a rotten egg odour. These pipes have now been fixed and covered with activated carbon to filter the air.

On Friday 7 May, following an odour survey campaign and investigations by the EPA, and independent odour specialists engaged by the EPA, the Bingo Dial-A-Dump Eastern Creek landfill was confirmed as the major source of the odours impacting the local community.

The EPA’s priority is to ensure that Bingo fixes the problem and as a result the EPA has required Bingo to take immediate steps to stop the odours and has amended Bingo’s environment protection licence to operate, to incorporate these new actions.

Bingo must now:

• apply a layer of 300 mm of clean soil across the entire landfill to reduce the potential for odours from this surface,
• limit the type of wastes accepted at the landfill to waste that does not smell, and
• reduce the area used for active landfill operations.

These actions will help hold in landfill gas (rotten egg smell) and rubbish smells, reduce rain reaching the waste and reduce future gas generation.

Bingo must also monitor the landfill gas levels every day it operates and notify the EPA immediately if landfill gas is evident.

The EPA’s investigation into any potential breaches of the law is ongoing and is conducting regular odour patrols around the landfill and local community at various times of the day and night to check these measures have been effective.

It is an offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act for licenced premises to emit offensive odours.

Failure to comply with licence conditions can result in regulatory action including prosecution and penalties.