Query: What fines apply if I have a spill?
Context: A spill can financially effect everybody involved in a variety of ways as a spill in Queensland showed.
In the course of loading an insecticide called endosulfan onto a truck at a Queensland transport company, a forklift driver pierced a drum causing 20 litres of the chemical to spill onto the ground. A site employee hosed the chemical down a drain that led to a local watercourse resulting in a serious fish kill.
The two employees involved and the company were successfully prosecuted.
The forklift driver was fined $2,800, plus $6,000 in investigation costs.
The site employee was fined $11,000, plus $10,000 investigation costs.
The company was fined $25,000, plus $6,000 in investigation costs.
In addition to these costs, a statutory notice to the transport company was issued that required them to spend more than $125,000 to remove contaminated sediment and remediate to contaminated waterway.
That is over $180,000.
These amounts do not include court costs or legal costs incurred by the defendants.
A $100 spill kit and 20 minutes training could have easily avoided the financial consequences.