Eastern Creek REP Throughput Increase

What can we say more that we have not already said in our previous submissions in the face of this utter greed to further pollute Sydney and especially those living nearby, our homes and our air? Is there nothing that this proprietor will stop at in his desire make more money while causing major health problems within the community and wildlife by constantly polluting our air and our waters?

This is a NEVERENDING BATTLE WE MUST LIVE with; the threat of a well known unethical proprietor and his greed to expand further to pollute our air, waterways with every proposal he makes. We have been fighting the battle of greed vs our health and environment!

First it is the 100m tall chimney stacks burning highly toxic waste right in our backyard and now expanding it. His incessant need to become wealthier the whole of Sydney must suffer with their health. You have so far received every health assessment and report due to his previous applications to expand one way or another.

The history of the proprietor proves that he cannot be trusted to adhere to health emission levels or guidelines as he has proven to be highly untrustworthy while stockpiling massive amounts of asbestos, placing a pollution pipeline into Alexandria Waters and more. This facility will not only be taking in waste from Sydney but, it will go further to pollute the whole of the state (air, soil and water) by bringing in waste from other cities and states. Even considering opening the door to such a facility is abuse of power, utterly inconsiderate of human and animal health and life and putting monetary value above human life. This is an outrageously dangerous concept to even consider, especially in the middle of a highly populated city and so close to everything highly populated area, schools, parks, wildlife, even Sydney Zoo. The suburbs nearby are already suffering from the sewage stench that is emanating throughout their homes every day and night. This is just the thing we need to add to our already stench riddled homes everyday.

Just this year in January 2022 Dial a Dump was fined a mere $15,000 for uncovered asbestos. The $15,000 fine was issued after EPA officers identified uncovered fragments of asbestos waste at Eastern Creek landfill site during a routine odour inspection.

https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/news/media-releases/2022/epamedia220121-dial-a-dump-fined-for-uncovered-asbestos-waste-on-landfill

The environmental health breaches go all the way back to 2002. From Stockpiling of 170,000-cubic-metre stockpiles of waste contaminated with asbestos to 1300 cubic metres of asbestos-contaminated soil levelled and spread across a property in Marulan, belonging to Mr Malouf's mother-in-law, Kathleen Hopkins's company, Kathkin Pty Ltd, as trustee for his five children.

Records show he bought the Alexandria Landfill site from Sydney City Council in 2000 and created a recycling facility. In 2002 he was issued with four clean-up notices after the OEH received complaints relating to odours. Inspectors found landfill leachate was causing the stench. Another clean-up notice was issued after failed attempts to fix the problem and complaints increased.

But, it seems he is exculpated from it all because it is his "rogue employees and waste transporters" who are to blame. WOW!!! Even if that were to be true, this is evidence that his system is not managed or controlled effectively, demonstrating bad waste management practices, bad control and audit safety management and overall bad management of the whole organisation. If this site cannot be controlled and have not been controlled for 20 years how can a bigger facility provide the community with any assurance that these practices will be upheld at the highest standard safety and environmental standards at all times??? How can this organisation assure anyone that these past "problems" will not happen again, even though it only happened again last year in 2021, while Bingo is the owner of the facility.

https://www.forbesadvocate.com.au/story/941985/pollution-trail-to-megadump/

The owner of Dial a Dump sold all of his assets, to break the disconnect and disassociate himself and his rule breaching history by selling the whole business to the new owner of the site Bingo. Have a look here and see who sits on the board of Bingo. In short, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. The same sneaky and unethical management. It is just a change of brand who donates big money to the Liberal Party.
https://www.bingoindustries.com.au/sustainability/governance/board-and-management

In the light of all this, would the proprietor like to smell sewage in his home every day and night?

If anyone were to think of considering approval of this facility one must consider this question: Would I like to live right next door (literally) to such a facility and have your home filled sewage stench every day morning and night that you cannot even open your windows, let alone to health issues in years to come from such an untrusted management? THINK AND CONSULT YOUR CONSCIENCE BEFORE YOU APPROVE!!!

Submission on behalf of Frasers Property.

I object to this proposal. I love close to the Eastern Creek facility and the amount of air pollution in our suburb is higher than legal limits. It is clear that this facility does not respect or plan to operate in the best interests of the community and any increase in throughput will further increase the negative impact to surrounding suburbs. This air quality has declined in recent years due to the Bingo waste facility operations who is currently being prosecuted by the EPA.

Please see attached document

As a long time resident of Minchinbury I completely object to the expansion of this land fill operation based on the following facts. When this development application was approved (over 10 years ago) there was 4 years of opposition to this development with the Department, due to the lack of sufficient information and protection of the environment for the thousands of residents living less than 5km's from this site. During the 4 years, the Department raised many issues with the DA and the applicant was advised to amend the EIS and other important information to deal with environmental and community concerns. To date, this site has not acted in accordance with environmental legislation, community consultation or addressed the ongoing issues for this community's quality of life and health. This application to increase to an additional 950,000 tonnes of waste absolutely defies the initial application approval process over 10 years ago. The EIS attached to this application is inadequate particularly in it's description of odour. In 2020 alone there were hundreds of complaints to EPA NSW, Blacktown Council and NSW Government representatives regarding the air quality and air pollution coming from this land fill facility. Those complaints increase in 2021, drawing media attention to the community and their inability to walk outside, keep doors and windows open in summer, loss of amenity for children to play in parks, family visits to homes in Minchinbury for backyard BBQ's etc etc etc. The odour remains, with very little action from this land fill facility and very little community consultation. The EIS does not address the distress, discomfort, adverse health effects, and loss of social impact this facility has on this community and it's visitors. This report does not address any of these ongoing issues nor mention them - this EIS is not reflective of the current situation this community deal with from this facility and owners. This DA fails to also mention that this license holder is currently being prospected for unlawful release of odours. For DoP to even accept this approval to consider at major expansion of this site under the current legal circumstances this facility and owners are facing, is unacceptable and unethical. There has been little to no community consultation from this facility or owners to discuss the nature of this application. This has been rushed with absolutely no consideration for this community to ask questions or have their concerns addressed. Many residents will not be aware this DA is currenly on exhibition and will not be able to forward submissions to object to this DA. I am aware the no one in my street (including myself) had received information that some other residents received. The postal awareness campaign appeared to target only certain streets and residents in Minchinbury rather than the whole community. My street is very close to this current landfill facility as many homes front the M4 corridor directly parallel to this land fill site. The very early morning (1am - 4am) noise issues also continue from this facility. In addition to poor air quality this community is so close to this landfill that makes the operation of this 24/7 site very difficult to live near. The noises, constant loud banging and odour from this landfill make living in this once beautiful suburb unbearable. Why is Bingo the applicant for this DA yet licenses with EPA NSW are under the name Dial a Dump. These are two separate entities, both holding many license breach penalties against their names for breaching Environmental and WHS legislation. In closing, this DA should not be assessed in it’s current form, this DA must address the various past, current and future concerns of this community if they want to continue to work alongside our homes, our children’s schools and play areas and our lives. Currently, this business should not be operating this business in it’s current form due to the inadequacies of their management team, outlined in this submission.

Please refer to the attachment.

Attached please find our objection submission

I am a local resident and have been suffering from the existing Bingo operation for years now. Putting up with things like noxious odours in the middle of the night, strong enough to wake me up and persistent beeping from forklift operations.
This expansion is obviously going to make these issue's worse.

No company should be allowed to expand while currently under investigation for breaches of their Environmental Protection Licence and compliance issues.

this facility is too close to houses, for my and my children’s health,

I object to the proposal to allow BINGO to increase throughput as they cannot handle the current throughput without this facility causing extreme disruption to the lives of local residents now. They have failed to meet their obligations in relation to eliminating the rotten gas odours, they have failed to adhere to the requirement that they do NOT accept putrescible waste, and they have failed to provide accurate monitoring results of their current operations.
They have failed on more than one occasion to adhere to their current license requirements and have had multiple infringements issued for multiple breaches.
The local residents are fed up with their non compliance and the EPA's failure to adequately ensure their current operations do no have adverse impacts to the environment, and local residents.

I object to the EASTERN CREEK RECYCLING ECOLOGY PARK EXPANSION (Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure). The basis of my objection is that Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure have demonstrated an inability to work within the requirements of their POEO Licences.
They have failed to manage offsite hydrogen sulphide odours for 3 years, first reported in March 2020, all of 2021 and up to this week in 2022. The EPA is finally taking them to the Land and Environment Court on 26 August 2022.
The EPA has issued 15 notices of violation in the last 12 years. These violations include acceptance of hospital waste, improper management of asbestos waste, site fire, inadequate free board in surface water ponds, illegal use of alternative cover material, no gas management/monitoring plan even though it was a requirement in the original approval. What is remarkable is that the EPA miss 100's of violations. They did not identify when the dust deposit gauges exceeded limits, and most monitoring errors/omissions that happen every event (4 times a year)
As an example of incompetence, I submit the monitoring violations for one site over two years. The Bingo Landfill operates under the conditions identified in Environmental Licence 13426. This licence requires them to test leachate at sampling point 32. The Bingo Landfill (Macquarie Infrastructure) are required to make all licence monitoring results available to the public. Bingo makes it’s monitoring results available at: https://www.bingoindustries.com.au/Policies/eastern-creek-policies-and-reporting. The EPA has a statutory responsibility to assess whether the monitoring results reported by a licenced premises meets the requirements outlined in the POEO licence. Because there are so many errors and no indication of a formal investigation, it seems that the EPA may not have assessed the leachate results for the first Quarter of 2021 and 2022. Can someone within the EPA confirm whether the EPA has reviewed the leachate results reported for Environmental Licence 13426?
The errors that I found are:
a. The field Electrical Conductivity Result is out by a factor of at least 25 times too low for Q1 of 2022.
b. The metal results are reported as filtered instead of total. If filtered is not identified in the Licence, total is required and is most appropriate for all properly finished wells.
c. Zinc was not reported in 2022.
d. Organochlorine Pesticides were not reported during 2021 and 2022.
e. Organophosphate Pesticides were not reported during 2021 and 2022.
f. Phenols were not reported in 2021 or 2022. Phenolic compounds which were reported are not required by the Licence. Phenolic compounds determined colourmetrically using 4-Aminoantipyrine has poor agreement to measuring phenols by GCMS.
g. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons was not reported during 2021 and 2022.
h. Total Suspended Solids were not reported during 2021 and 2022.
i. Ortho-xylene was not reported during 2021 and 2022.
j. The approved methods for water testing required by the EPA have quality control guidelines. These guidelines include a quality requirement that there is an ionic balance of less than 5 % between cations and anions. This requirement was not met in 2021 and 2022, being 18 % and 11 % respectively.
Every violation is PIN worthy, but to date there has not been one PIN issued following 100's of documented violations.
The noise assessment is not up to date and therefore underestimates current noise levels. According to residents, noise has been increasing in the area, particularly at night. The backing up truck noise can be heard across Minchinbury from 1:00 am to 5:00 am. In 2022, there have been many more complaints by ‘sensitive receivers’ about increased levels of noise particularly in the evening. Many of these complaints have been lodged with the EPA. The construction and 24 hour operations of the waste facility will increase noise.
Appendix K - Air Quality Impacts has several predicted concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, TSP, Dust Deposition and noise at residential assessment locations. There doesn’t seem to be any plan to monitor these pollutants and impacts at residential assessment locations. There should be monitoring to confirm that the predictions are accurate at residential assessment locations and measures to stop operations whenever there are values that exceed the prediction levels following expansion.
Appendix K - Air Quality Impacts includes a section on Site History that identifies eight modifications that have been approved for the site following the original approval, the most recent of which was approved in March 2022. Modification 10 which pertains to the installation of a gas collection system and permanent landfill gas flares to support the operations of the Eastern Creek REP is the result of uncontrolled release of hydrogen sulphide gas over a 3 year period which has not yet been fully implemented. Certainly, control measures should be finalised and proved to be effective before additional operational changes are considered.
Spontaneous combustion is a common occurrence when storing wood chip composting piles. Typically after a few weeks of storage with a high moisture content, the risk of spontaneous combustion is significant and must be considered. The management plan identifies that there will be composting on site, but does not address the issue of spontaneous combustion.
able 4 in the EIS Appendix N Surface Water Impact Assessments identifies three EPL concentration limits that apply to the Eastern Creek REP site for surface water. The first quarter 2020 results reported by Bingo exceeded the pH and total suspended solids (TSS) limits. The TSS maximum allowable concentration is 50 mg/L and Bingo reported a concentration of 81 mg/L on 25 February 2022 and 100 mg/L on 4 March 2022 in the overflow from the Northwest Dam. Likewise the Southwest Dam exceeded the TSS maximum allowable concentration with concentrations of 92 mg/L on 2 February 2021, 220 mg/L on 24 March 2021, 230 mg/L on 13 January 2022 and 340 mg/L on 7 March 2022. Managing a pond discharge is a fairly simple and straightforward process with most licenced premises going decades without violations. Running a massive recycling facility is complex. This is another demonstration that Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure lacks competence in managing waste facilities, so it would be foolish to greatly extend the amount of material processed on site.
The EIS Appendix N Surface Water Impact Assessments rainfall and evaporation data used to assess water balance is based on the annual average rainfall over this period is representative of the long-term average within the Blacktown LGA of 857 mm per annum. Recent rainfall events demonstrate that the long term historical average values are not appropriate benchmarks to assess future trends during climate change. To be useful, the modelling should use much greater values for future rainfall, at least 25 % higher. This is especially important because the sulphide odour issue has been a direct consequence of Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure not properly managing infiltration on site. It is important to reassess surface water impacts with meaningful estimates instead of the long term average.
The Community Engagement Strategy organised by Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure was a sham. I attended one of the Zoom Community Engagement Meetings on 9 November 2021. There was insufficient time during the meeting to address the questions raised so WSP (the engagement strategy contractors) said they would provide the answers to the participants. They failed to do so, so I resubmitted the questions that were in the chat so that Bingo/Macquarie Infrastructure could address the issues of concern.

As a local resident who experiences odours from this facility, I object to the application for increasing the throughput. If they can’t control the quantity they receive now, then how will they manage even more? What impact will this have on the residents if they increase the quantities? How can any decision be made when this company are being taken to court at present and it hasn’t even concluded? Just last night 7/8/22, I experienced an unpleasant sulphur smell which made me feel sick when I stepped outside. This was at 9.15pm.

Please do not approve this increase. Thank you.

the smell has impacted our health and the way we lived our lives.No don’t want it ever!

Please find attached my comments against the Bingo expansion. Details are in the submission.

How much more must the residents in Minchinbury endure ? We have been subject to multiple proposals / rejections and appeals regarding the Incinerator and the upgrade to more waste. This latest proposal to increase to almost 3 MILLION tonnes of waste is disasterous. The additional noise, not only from more trucks delivering the waste but the trucks moving the waste around the plant. We already hear the truck movements / reversing beeps throughout the day and night! Skip bins being moved / dragged on concreate. It has already been proven that the plant emits a stench into the air that effects peoples breathing eyes etc. So now the proposal is to add even more waste to increase the chances for this stench to be more frequent. The additional dust that deposits on our houses , cars. I have a pool and the amount of dust that is collected in the skimmed box sock is substantial and disgusting.
Put an end to this once and for all and REJECT to proposal and let us live our lives in peace as is our right and not under the constant threat to our lives, health and well being.

Application no SSD-11606719
Eastern Creek Recycling Ecology Park Throughput Increase
I write my objection to this application. I live in Minchinbury, just across the M4 motorway from the BINGO facility. My family has lived here since February 1993. My reasons for objecting include the following-
Our family has been severely impacted many times by poor management of this facility since the BINGO facility fire in early February 2020. At that time our swimming pool received sufficient debris fallout from the fire to totally alter the waters chemical balance over many days and render the water unsafe for swimming. Fire and Rescue NSW attended the BINGO site and we never heard the cause of the fire was determined.
Since March 2021 the BINGO facility, which is supposedly the world’s largest and most advanced dry mixed waste recycling facility has been plagued by more operational problems. The pervasive smell of rotten egg gas impacted thousands of local residents, resulting in over 600 complaints to the EPA. Our family alone reported more than a dozen incidents of the rotten egg gas odour impacting our lifestyle. Residents reported increased tension, coughing, dry irritated eyes, sore nose and throats, headaches, nausea, breathing difficulties and increased asthma.
The EPA ordered rectification measures be installed yet these measures dragged out sufficiently to still cause complaints. The efficacy of the gas flares was impacted yet again by rain and strong wind. This is what Chris Gordon, from BINGO advised me, when I yet again complained to him. The gas flares may have cost millions to install but they are not doing a satisfactory job.
My greatest concern is that if this facility (at its current operational size) is not able to work within EPA guidelines and still causes residents to be impacted by the odour, how is it going to meet such guidelines when an expansion is approved?
We have genuine concerns of the expansion continuing to and further impact this local community. Apparently, the current amount waste throughput at BINGO is 2,000,000 tonnes per year. I thought it was 1,000,000. Now they are seeking approval to increase to 2,950,000. They intend to increase road exit connections and upgrade internal roads and carparking. What about the increased impact of these extra vehicles on our already highly used roads? The additional noise to and from the facility and the increased vehicle emissions will again impact residents. The infrastructure currently in place, will need increased maintenance because of this increased traffic to and from BINGO
The EPA states “the proposal does not intend to change the current operating conditions.” I am concerned as so far, BINGO has not shown itself capable of being able to adhere to and maintain long term to these operating conditions. The EPA also state they “consider the increased throughput has the potential to adversely impact the environment and public health particularly with air emissions” and this is my greatest concern as well. The EPA shares residents’ concerns of “the proximity to residential areas in nearby Minchinbury.”
Surely the Planning Authority listens to the Environmental Protection Authority and its concerns. We have three suburbs close to the BINGO facility- Minchinbury, Eastern Creek and Erskine Park. All three have schools, preschools and sporting grounds. The air quality has been adversely impacted on far too many occasions in the recent past by the rotten egg odours emitted by BINGO.
We expect and deserve the best practice of management of waste facilities to be adhered to, but to date feel highly let down by the governing authorities that have the power to check, fine and close down those not adhering to the highest of standards. I believe the families living in the area deserve to have their concerns listened to and that BINGO be held to account for their continual non-compliance with existing guidelines. If they can't do right with their current size how can they be granted an expansion?
As for community consultation regarding this expansion, there has not been any. Many residents are time poor with their work and family commitments and others are not able to use online objections. People deserve to be consulted and informed what it is proposed basically in their back yards.
Far too many people don’t know enough about this proposal to increase throughput and so won’t be able to raise their concerns. This is a total blindside to the community.
Helen Fone 10 Yves Place Minchinbury NSW 2770. 23 July 2022.

Hi
For years in Minchinbury now we have suffered with odour pollution that has been caused up on us by Bingo Eastern Creek Recycling Ecology Park. We were told over and over by bingo that they will get their act together and the rotten egg odour will be gone however the odour is still there and it’s stronger than ever.
How can they be given an extension on the site, if they can not control the current messy situation with the rotten smell that they have honestly ruined our lives. Days after days we continue to suffer, have complained to EPA many many times and the odour is worse today than it was yesterday. You can not approve this expansion, Bingo needs to get this odour under control please. Otherwise this will only get worse, thousands of families will continue to suffer. We deserve better, we deserve clean air.

The tip is constantly smell like rotten eggs mixed with gas and the smell is travelling to surrounding suburbs and the smell is toxic and putrid. The smell gives me and my kids headaches and makes us feel sick. This smell has been continuous and Dial a dump has not solved this problem. Kids smell it at school and cant concentrate and feel unwell and it also turns them off their food if the smell is during recess or lunch. I am afraid that by increasing the tip the smell will become a lot worse. EPA is no help and are doing very little. Please don't increase the size of the tip I can't handle the smell anymore.

I strongly object this proposal. I live 2 km across this site and for the past 5 years they have been anything but pain and suffering to the community and Minchinbury, St Clair , Rooty Hill, Mount Druitt and Doonside to name some. The stench and noise of trucks reversing, tooting their horns coming out from the facility is mind boggling. I have personally lodged about 100 complaints with the EPA in the past 2 years. I have also lodged multiple complaints to the local member of parliaments. This issue has been featured in multiple media outlets as well. Its hard to believe that the government is considering this proposal when they cannot operate the facility in its current form. I just drove past McFarlane Drive and the stench and the noise from this facility is intense. How are people to meant to live like this? Coming home from a hard days work and they first thing that we encounter as you reach Minchinbury is this astounding stench and noise from this company facility.
EPA, although having multiple complaints on a daily basis, they haven't acted on this. What power do they hold in regards to all this facilities that they can be bullied like this by the big corporates? It makes everyone in the community very concerned that an organization that is meant to safeguard the health and well being of the residents from the big corporate bullies can fold so easily with a bit of pressure.
I, on behalf of my family and the entire community at Minchnbury strongly object this proposal and request the EPA to open their eyes and their issue logs for the past two years and see first hand how the community has been sufferings from BINGO and its operations at Eastern Creek. The facility in its current form is disgusting and should be closed down, its beyond belief that they are thinking of expanding further and making the life of everyone more miserable.