The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has reminded ACT builders of their legal requirements to install and maintain erosion and sediment controls.
The warning followed the Authority inspecting small building sites and finding significant deficiencies.
ACT Director of the EPA, Narelle Sargent said erosion and sediment controls were designed to reduce the potential for soil and other building materials entering stormwater.
Mrs Sargent said penalties of between $100 and $175 for individuals and $500 to $875 for corporations applied for those not undertaking their environmental responsibilities on construction sites under the Environment Protection Act 1997.
“In the last 12 months, eight written warning letters have been issued to builders for offences related to environmental pollution at building sites,” Mrs Sargent said.
“I was therefore disappointed to see at a recent visit to a greenfield building development that some builders are still not putting the mandatory sediment controls in place.”
She said her message to industry was clear: This would be a key area of focus of the EPA over the next 12 months and builders could expect to see officers out checking sites.
“Development and construction activities can contribute significant pollution to Canberra’s lakes and rivers, impact on our water quality and potentially make our waterways unsafe for recreational use,” Mrs Sargent said.
“This includes increasing the risk of algae blooms as well as impacting our aquatic plants and animals through nutrients entering the waterways.”
