A North Shore woodchipping company allowed “a significant amount of contaminated water” to leave its site and enter Corio Bay, according to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
Midway Ltd was fined $7584 over the incident at its North Shore yard, the EPA said.
A “community report” on 9 May that contaminated water was entering the bay prompted an EPA investigation, the authority said.
EPA officers found “significant amounts of what appeared to be sediment-laden water discharging from a single stormwater point near the company’s premises”.
EPA’s Tanya McAteer was disappointed a “prominent business” in Geelong “allowed this to happen, especially when regular maintenance and correct management of stormwater … could have prevented the discharge”.
“Heavily laden stormwater with high levels of suspended solids entering a waterway like Corio Bay can reduce dissolved oxygen concentration and consequently impact on aquatic organisms,” he said.
“Ensuring the health of Corio Bay and its marine life should be maintained for future generations wanting to access these resources.”
Ms McAteer said Midway had implemented measures to prevent further discharges.
