By PAUL MILLAR
INVESTIGATORS from City of Greater Geelong have extended testing for methane leaks from a former rubbish tip below a South Geelong industrial estate.
City services general manager William Tieppo said additional testing was under way in areas that previously returned positive results for methane at Birkett Plc and Hede St.
Mr Tieppo said surrounding areas would also be tested to determine the extent of the outbreak.
Additional tests had so far found low methane levels but the City would carry out more testing in the coming weeks, he said.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria issued two pollution abatement notices to the City after elevated levels of methane were recorded in seven buildings situated on top of the former landfill earlier this month.
Mr Tieppo said public safety was a priority.
The City was providing its tests results to relevant government departments and agencies such as WorkSafe, the EPA and the CFA, he said.
Council officers and staff from the EPA had door-knocked businesses in the light industrial estate last Friday to provide information relating to the previous tests and to advise on future testing.
Council and the agencies would continue to inform tenants and landowners of the results, Mr Tieppo said.
Any steps to reduce landfill gas emissions would be investigated once authorities had a clearer understanding of the extent and nature of the South Geelong emissions, he said.
The City was also conducting tests for methane leaks at a recently closed Corio landfill.
A 2008 methane leaks into a housing estate in Melbourne’s southwestern suburbs forced the evacuation of homes and cost City of Casey millions of dollars.
