Victoria's Environment Protection Authority has charged a warehousing company over a significant chemical spill in Melbourne's west, which led to the death of thousands of fish.
In March this year, chemicals leaked into Cherry Creek in Altona and flowed through Cherry Lake, a popular recreational area, where dead fish were seen floating across the surface of the waterways.
Today the EPA announced it had filed criminal charges against Melbourne Transport and Warehousing (MTAW Group). The charges can attract fines of up to $1.8 million.
The EPA alleged the spill started after a fire outside the company's Laverton North site in March.
In its charges, the environmental regulator alleged the company failed to take reasonable actions to reduce the risk of a leak of dangerous goods stored at its Laverton North site.
The EPA also alleged the company failed in its general environmental duty and failed to minimise the risk of harm to human health and the environment.
The EPA's chief executive Lee Miezis said this case would be the first time the regulator had filed criminal charges against an organisation under the relatively new, general environmental duty laws.
"The GED or general environmental duty came into effect with the new Environment Protection Act on the 1st of July last year," Mr Miezis said.
"So the GED basically says all Victorians have to take reasonably practical action to minimise or eliminate risk to the environment from the activities they take on a day-to-day basis."
The matter will go before the Werribee Magistrates' Court in January next year.
The ABC has contacted Melbourne Transport and Warehousing for comment.
