The owners of an old Lake Macquarie smelter have been fined $16,000 by the Environment Protection Authority over a breach of licence.
The EPA says Pasminco siphoned water from an upslope gully dam at the former Cockle Creek Smelter and discharged it from the site over a five day period in October last year.
EPA Hunter Manager, Adam Gilligan, says the company failed to monitor the discharge for metals and suspended solids.
As part of an investigation, the EPA also found Pasminco had failed to publish monitoring data on its website.
“The community has a right to know what’s happening in their backyard and it’s important that they have access to current and regular updates of monitoring data. We expect all Licence holders to comply with these conditions,” Mr Gilligan said.
The EPA says it will continue to work with Pasminco during the remediation and redevelopment of the Cockle Creek site.
